Digimon Adventure 09: Free
by YukiraKing
Summary: So it wasn't a trilogy. We needed more space. Whoops. In this final part of our story we finally find out what happened after that less than conclusive ending to 08 and we'll get a chance to see if Hikari's theory about who is behind the darkness is true or not. Read through these very long chapters in a story that has a word count much higher than six chapters should ever allow:)
1. Send Me On My Way

**Y/N:** We're back...! I got to write as Koushiro once again, and while it's not my absolute favourite Koushiro chapter, I still enjoyed having one last real go at it. I hope you enjoy!

 **U/N:** So here is 09. This is the fourth part of our 'trilogy' in a sense. Originally we had planned this to be literally one story. Obviously you can see why that wasn't a possibility. So we sorted the chapters to represent 'Frontier' 'Savers' and all of 'Xros Wars'. When it became painfully clear that we would not have enough room to finish this story off, we decided to create a 'Free' story that had six chapters each to represent one of the tri movies. So the cliffhanger is kind of funny in 'Vaccine' and I hope this makes up for it. It's a bit messy in my own head, but I hope you like it anyway.

Here I wrote Joe's final chapter piece and it was kind of fun to see it all come into place and have his development, and Gomamon's for that matter, come to a safe sort of resolve. Yay.

 **Title: Digimon Adventure 09: Free**

 **By: YukiraKing and UrazamayKing**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Digimon or its characters.**

 **Tri-pocalypse**

 **Chapter 01: Send Me On My Way**

 ** _Koushiro Izumi:_**

Everything around me was bright. It was as though I was surrounded by pure light. I could not gather my bearings. I was unable to ascertain where I was. One moment the sky was being painted a deep grey, darkening to the purest of blacks, and the next, nothing existed except for white.

The white rescinded, but spots remained dancing in front of my eyes. I could see very little beyond the echo of the flash of light. It was a moment before I was able to wrap my mind around it, but I was soon able to identify the reason that the lights were so prominent in my vision.

There was simply nothing else to see.

"Is everyone okay?" Mimi wanted to know. Her voice wavered, but I couldn't find her in the darkness. She was worried, and afraid. But I couldn't go to her. Not only could I not locate her, but I knew she wouldn't want me there. I wanted to divorce her after all—though she wouldn't allow me to explain my decision. She was as stubborn as I was. I couldn't fault her for that. The choice to avoid me would work far better for her, as one needed _both_ parties to sign a divorce paper, but only one person needed to make the choice to break off a relationship when marriage was not a factor.

But she had to know I loved her. She _had_ to.

"I'm okay," Sora said. "Biyomon? Biyomon, where are you?"

"Agumon?" Taichi's voice was quick to add. Soon the names of all our partners filled the air. Agumon, Palmon, Gomamon, Garurumon, Kabuterimon, Biyomon, Patamon, Gatomon, Veemon, Wormmon, Armadillomon and Hawkmon.

It was helpful, because it allowed us to know which of our friends had been taken by the flash of light into this new realm of darkness. I wasn't sure where we were, honestly. Apocolymon had taken us to a land of white before—which I was now unsure whether it was the In-Between or Theta—but he'd also sent us into our own personal circles of hell, where he played our worst fears against us.

I still felt guilty about my logic overpowering reality. I had chosen to leave Mimi behind, thinking logically that our circumstances wouldn't be able to cross paths. I'd left her alone, which she feared most of all, and once again, she was afraid I would leave her alone with this divorce plan of mine.

But I couldn't allow even a fraction of my mind to fret over such trivial matters—trivial was the wrong word, perhaps _personal_ , was a better fit. My friends needed me. I was able to catalogue a complete list of which friends had made it to this dark expanse, I simply needed to identify it.

It wasn't a new world. Summer, Spring...and Winter, had been quite thorough of their searches. We knew of each and every world that was available to Apocalymon. It was dark, it was cold. There were loud breaths coming from everywhere. I could feel the air grow moist and warm only after the breaths were exhaled.

But it wasn't our partners, and none of my human friends would be able to emit such a powerful breath. Their lungs simply didn't have the capacity for it.

"We're not alone," I announced. Yamato and Jou gasped. I was able to get a rough estimate of their locations. They weren't near me. Only Mimi and Miyako were, as far as I was able to tell. The dancing remnants of the light were fading, though they were still dim.

"Ken, where are you?" Miyako called anxiously. I heard her squeal in fright as someone touched her, but it turned out to be Mimi.

"I've got you," Mimi said, trying to sound confident, and failing drastically. I started moving towards them, hoping they would continue to speak, so that I could find them in this darkness. I tripped over something, and fell to the floor. I discovered it was concrete...and that the thing I tripped over was moving. I tried not to shout in fear, because I knew Mimi and Miyako were close by, and both of them were easily frightened...but it was a close call.

Something that felt like long, straggly hair was under my ankle. I backed away slowly, and clambered to my feet. Trying to get away from whatever it was without drawing attention to myself.

And then the lights turned on.

We were in an abandoned warehouse. It definitely didn't look like anywhere in the Digital World, but there was a distinct possibility we were on Earth—as we had been before the light took us away from the battle.

The assortment of large digimon, however, made me question that deduction.

"Gennai?" Taichi asked, sounding incredibly confused. My eyes were pried away from the large, white, hairy digimon whose tail I'd fallen over. I needed to see Gennai. I had to understand where we were. We couldn't be on Earth or even any living realm if Gennai was there.

Yet he was.

He was standing with his hand on a light switch, looking around the digimon as if _we_ were the strange ones for being here. Though I suspected he was right, as we'd appeared in a large flash of light from seemingly nowhere.

Where was Gaia? Where was Apocalymon? We were fighting them. Where were Willis, Michael and Kurayami, or Neo, or Ryou, or Alice, or Alias III? We were _all_ fighting, yet only twelve of us were here, without our partners, without our enemies. What had Mimi done to us?

"Oh my," Gennai said, looking young and alive, though I knew him to be neither. Perhaps I was wrong. There was a large chance this was simply one of his many clones. There were far more than we actually communicated with. There were hundreds of them once upon a time, and there were still at _least_ a hundred left. Benjamin, Jose, Hogan and Ilya weren't the only ones left, even if they were the only ones sociable enough to introduce themselves. "You seem to know me, yet we have never met. How odd."

"We've met, dozens of times," Mimi said. She and Miyako were incredibly close to me, and I backed towards them, unable to take my eyes off of the clone that claimed he was Gennai.

"I do think I might've remembered," the supposed Gennai insisted. "I do not know how you found me, but we happen to be in the middle of an important and _secret_ meeting, so if you would be kind enough to leave..."

Looking around to the determined and possibly intimidating faces of the surrounding digimon gave the impression that Gennai was not exactly giving us the choice so much as telling us what to do. Old habits die hard.

"What are we doing here?" Daisuke asked, moving to stand with Miyako, Mimi and I. I noticed all of our friends were moving in our direction. There was safety in numbers—for the most part—and the large digimon all around us were unknown. They could be passive or aggressive. We didn't know. We couldn't risk assuming either.

"I was rather hoping you could answer that," Gennai said. "Autumn did not warn me of intruders. She usually warns me of such things you know. I'm not typically caught so unaware."

"So you were never omnipotent," Taichi said. "You just had warning. That's good to know. Here I was thinking you had some sort of superpower."

"Where is Autumn, if you're doing something so important?" Sora asked. I was intrigued myself, and more than a little interested to meet her _before_ she was only a spirit that continually inhabited Hikari's body.

"She's rather indisposed," Gennai said, "bringing new life into this world."

I filed that bit of information into my mind. I would ponder over what that meant later. Autumn had only given birth to two children in her life, which meant that somehow, we were either in the past, or we were in some alternative universe where dead people went after they died.

Considering Mimi's involvement, I was sure the former was more believable.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Mimi's hand curled around a blue key, and knew for sure exactly what was going on. The only issue of course, was that I didn't have time to ponder over which child Autumn was delivering.

There were thirteen digimon in this warehouse with us, and I wasn't sure who they were. Though, that wasn't technically true. There was an Ophanimon, a Seraphimon, and a Cherubimon within the warehouse, though they did not seem to recognize Hikari or Takeru at all, which led me to believe that they perhaps weren't the Ophanimon, Seraphimon or Cherubimon that we knew and cared for.

"These digimon," I called, catching sight of a large red dragon with wings of fire and a silver helmet. He was familiar to me. Tentomon had shown me a fragment of a mural during our latest stay at the Temple—before it was destroyed completely. This digimon was one of the ones on display. "Are these the Legendary Warriors?"

"How could you possibly know that?" Gennai asked sharply. Ophanimon reached out a hand towards him to calm him.

"Are you _the_ Holy Three?" Hikari asked softly, looking directly at Ophanimon. Ophanimon nodded solemnly. Hikari smiled, which seemed to put Ophanimon at ease. I remembered, of course, hearing from Izumi that the Holy Digimon had fallen. At one point, they were the enemy. Ophanimon was unsure of our feelings towards them. Hikari's easy acceptance was definitely appreciated.

"Time is running short," Gennai said.

"What are the Ancient warriors doing in an old warehouse?" Taichi wanted to know.

"Who cares about that," Yamato said firmly, glancing apologetically to the digimon. "Apocalymon and Gaia came with us. I _saw_ them get caught in the light."

"I saw our partners too," Hikari said. "I don't know where they are, but we _have_ to find them."

"We will," Jou said firmly.

"Gennai, have you seen any of them?" Ken asked.

"I'm not entirely certain just yet as to who you are," Gennai said slowly. "But if what you say is true, and you _have_ unleashed Apocalymon, then we must act quickly. We cannot allow Apocalymon to wreak havoc on this unsuspecting world."

"He is sealed away," a digimon that looked to be a head atop a large mirror said firmly. "He could not have escaped. The Digidestined assisted us. He is sealed."

"AncientWisetmon is correct, Apocalymon couldn't have escaped so quickly," Seraphimon agreed.

"He's not the same guy," Mimi said, shaking her head. "Well he _is_ , but he's also not, if that makes any sense. Who am I kidding, of _course_ it makes no sense. I brought him here. I didn't mean to. I just panicked. I kept thinking, Gennai would know what to do, and here we are—only we're _not_ all here. Palmon is out there somewhere and so is Kabuterimon and Gomamon and all of the others. I don't know what to do. I messed up. I _know_ I messed up. But I can't change that. I reacted instinctively, and now I've made an even bigger mess."

"It's okay Mimi," Miyako said firmly. "We'll figure this out. We _always_ figure it out."

"Exactly, this group was able to beat MaloMyotismon," Daisuke added. "We'll be fine."

"We had _help_ though," Takeru reminded him. "We had a lot of help, from every Chosen from around the world. It wasn't just us."

"Well...eight of you managed to beat Apocalymon already, we've so got this," Daisuke said, trying to stay upbeat and positive.

"Stop speaking," Gennai ordered. "I cannot hear any of this. It would affect everything too greatly. Apocalymon has yet to be defeated. He is meant to be defeated _once_. Autumn said his defeat would be the sign of peace. Once peace is brought to our land, then I would be able to seal it off and preserve that peace."

"Sealing the worlds never brings peace," Taichi warned him.

"Stop _speaking_ of this," Gennai insisted. "Apocalymon's defeat will bring peace. Autumn swore to me."

"That's why you did it," Mimi said sounding both horrified and understanding. "You kept kicking us out. You said that _we_ caused everything to go belly up. You said _we_ were the reason for peace not being around, but we _all_ know that destiny will happen no matter what we do to try and stop it. It might've been our fault _technically_ , but we all know it was meant to happen. You were such a _jerk_ to us!"

"I'm not listening," Gennai said, managing to not seem entirely childish in doing so.

"He kicked us out after our first adventure," Sora pointed out, picking up on Mimi's point with ease. "But our journey wasn't done—not according to Destiny. Gennai blamed Ryou, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway, because we all know that Apocalymon wasn't really destroyed."

"No," Daisuke agreed. "He was biding his time, working hand in hand with Fanglongmon and Dragomon—who was possessed by the devil. They were manipulating and controlling Kurayami."

"We defeated him for the second time," Jou said, "and Gennai threw us out again."

"But we wouldn't stay out, because Hikari left the door to the Dark Ocean open," Yamato said. Hikari looked the ground embarrassed.

"That didn't matter though, because Apocalymon wasn't dead anyway," Takeru said quickly.

"No," Daisuke said bitterly. "He's just been haunting Kurayami becoming the physical embodiment of her Darkness. That means that Apocalymon has both helped and hindered us. He was technically the one that kept protecting her."

"And Gaia stole him, and Hikari's light," Ken added, "which meant that he was working for Gaia."

"He was always working for her, in a sense," I pointed out. "He is the chaos of the world. He is the opposite of Yggdrasil, who was the embodiment of peace. Peace and Chaos were born out of the heart that Gaia planted."

"She created them out of her sister's heart," Miyako said horrified.

"That's the kicker," Taichi said, shaking his head. "Her sister never existed in a physical sense. Terra and Gaia are the _same_. She planted her own heart. Apocalymon is a part of Gaia. The reason Gaia can't die, is—"

"Because her heart needs to be destroyed before she can leave this mortal coil," Iori said. "She is similar to Sigma then, in her methods."

"Keep in mind that she did it first," Hikari said. "We've killed half of her heart. My light and Kurayami's darkness were the only things that were keeping her in balance. Without my light—which took Yggdrasil's place—she's become unstable."

"Great, so we're _halfway_ to ridding the worlds of her," Yamato said. "But we've got no partners, we're in the past at some unknown point in time, and we're meant to defeat Apocalymon yet again. Those odds are far from great."

"It would be best, I think, if you were to leave," Gennai announced, removing his hands from his ears when he was certain no one was talking. "I can't know the future. It would be detrimental to the time stream."

"He's right," Mimi sighed. "And Apocalymon wasn't defeated here in the past. We would've known about it. Gennai wouldn't have kept warning me _against_ using the key. He would've known we _needed_ to."

"Okay, so we just have to gather everyone up and head back to the future," Taichi said. "That should be easy. We just have to follow the sounds of screaming. Humans didn't know about digimon. They'll be freaked out."

"Maybe," Hikari said, trying to seem enthusiastic.

"Gennai, what are you doing?" I asked, having watched him walk purposefully towards Cherubimon and AncientWisetmon, ignoring us—with a lot of effort—in favour of continuing whatever he was doing before we had arrived.

"I am completing the quest we were sent to accomplish," Gennai said. "You'll know all about it, I'm sure, being familiar with me in the future, and knowing who Autumn is. You'll obviously know that I'm meant to prepare these warriors for their new lives. They of course won't remember their time here, or any of their time before this moment."

"But it is a cost we are willing to pay," the large red dragon said, "in order to bring true peace to the world that we love."

"Yes," Gennai said. "It will be difficult to know that none of you will remember your great past. You've fought hand in hand with the Digidestined to save our world from Lucemon, and you won't remember any of those brave actions. You've been spirits, and digimon alike."

"And we will be digimon once more," a female digimon with clawed feet and green wings said firmly. "We will do what is required of us. We know the risks. We will do it anyway."

"AncientKazemon," I murmured. I looked to the dragon, and identified him as AncientGreymon. There was something about this moment that seemed vital to me. The large white, hairy beast was AncientMegatheriummon, and next to him was a volcanic rock digimon, named AncientVolcanomon. AncientSphinxmon was near AncientMermaimon and AncientTroiamon. AncientGarurumon was with AncientBeetlemon and Seraphimon. Ophanimon stood on her own.

Identifying them didn't get rid of the itch in my mind. It wasn't their names that ached of familiarity. No. There was something more.

And I knew what it was, the moment Gennai touched Cherubimon and AncientWisetmon at the same time. They shrank down and formed a single egg. The familiarity I felt from each of them wasn't just some fragment of knowledge in the back of my mind. These were my friends, though they weren't my friends _yet_.

Terriermon and Lopmon were inside that egg, waiting to be sent to Willis—and Alice, though it was clear to me that Gennai was unaware of their current living situations, and was planning on sending the twins' twin digimon to the same place. My eyes scanned the digimon with a new light. The red dragon was Agumon, while the armoured wolf man was clearly Gabumon. Yamato and Taichi were looking to their future partners, same as I was, as though they too understood their importance. Sora was staring at AncientKazemon, who I knew would become Biyomon in time. AncientMermaimon would one day be Gomamon, as Jou seemed to discover.

Daisuke couldn't seem to look away from AncientSphinxmon, who would one day become Labramon, his wife's partner, and his family. AncientMegatheriummon would become Betamon, and go through far too many painful days in the future under Sigma's command. Hikari and Takeru were easily able to pick out their future partners, as they would become Ophanimon and Seraphimon in the future as well.

Iori, Ken and Miyako wouldn't find their partners, nor was Daisuke's here, as they were ancient digimon themselves, and were chosen by the fairies, rather than Gennai. Similarly, Alias III's partners were created by the fairies, and at this point in time weren't likely to exist.

But Dracomon was here. He looked nothing like the dragon he would become, but AncientVolcanomon was clearly him, just as AncientTroimon would become Palmon and AncientBeetlemon was my own partner. I looked at the large blue digimon. It was hard to see how this ancient being would be the nature documentary loving little ladybug that I called my own. I missed him, even though he was technically standing right in front of me.

"They are ready to be sent," Gennai said loudly, disrupting our peaceful moment staring at our future partners. It was so strange, and such a powerful moment, that I'd nearly forgotten everything that we needed to do.

 _Nearly_.

"We'll finish this," I promised AncientBeetlemon, though he didn't know who I was. "We'll make sure your sacrifices weren't in vain."

"Yeah," Mimi said, looking like she wanted to reach out and touch the large, wooden horse that would one day be our energetic Palmon. This wooden horse wasn't frightening in the least, despite the vessel that Arnold had designed to hold the virus when he launched it towards the Digital World. This was calm, and peaceful, just as Palmon could be.

Daisuke pried his eyes away from the black, sphinx digimon, and nodded. "We really should be going."

"I've said that," Gennai reminded him, though he didn't seem angry, or frustrated. He moved to pick up the egg and walked towards a computer, where he inserted the egg that contained the twins. "Willis and Alice should be getting their partners soon. After we determine their reactions, and if all goes well, you will be meeting your partners as well. Are you ready?"

"Yes," AncientGreymon said. "Begin the process."

"Thank you for all you have done and all you _will_ do," Gennai said, before he touched AncientGreymon and encased him in an egg. He moved on quickly, and soon Biyomon's egg was in his hand as well.

"Why are you doing this here?" Taichi asked. "It's not _stable_ , to be on Earth." He was clearly mocking Gennai, though _this_ Gennai wasn't aware of that slight against him, as he'd yet to make any of those comments.

"It must be done in relative secrecy," Gennai said. "There are many great evils lurking in the Digital World. The Dark Master are trying to break free of their prisons, just as Apocalymon is. Time is running short. You are right, however. It is unstable. More than just us have come through the gateway tonight."

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked, but she shook her head. "Don't worry. It doesn't matter. We really have to get going."

"Get Apocalymon out of my time," Gennai instructed us. I couldn't help but smile. Gennai was giving us one last mission, even though to _him_ , it would be our first.

"We will," Taichi said boldly. He led everyone towards a doorway, but Daisuke stopped and looked to Gennai.

"Um...about Kurayami," he said. "I'd talk to her sooner, rather than later about the darkness. It's really important."

"I will take that into consideration," Gennai promised.

"Good," Daisuke said, and he saluted AncientSphinxmon before Gennai encased him in an egg. He looked longingly at the egg, but he turned to follow Taichi out the door. I waited, because AncientTroimon and AncientBeetlemon were next. It was one of the strangest things I'd ever watched, to see Palmon and Tentomon's eggs come from the giant, ancient warriors. But once I'd seen it, I was able to move on. I ran into Sora's back, when I walked out the door. She was frozen in place looking up to the sky. After a cursory glance, I was alerted to the fact that she wasn't the only one.

"He's still forming," I realized, watching as the darkness spread across the evening sky. "He has yet to complete his physical form. That's an advantage for us."

"Yeah," Takeru said. "But we need to stop it _now_."

"At least we know which way to go," Hikari said, still staring out towards the swirling darkness that was swallowing the stars.

 ** _Jou Kido:_**

The twelve of us were walking down the streets with the shine from the streetlights casting a warm orange glow along the paved surfaces of the streets we had recently walked. There were not many people who passed us, but there were cars lining the streets as if it were such a normal day. Obviously it was not, but how could they know that?

Somehow only twelve of us had been taken through the time stream—or at least the twelve of us were all that had ended up in _this_ time. Aside from Apocalymon of course who was forming in the skies above. That's where we were going, and that's where we needed to end up. It was going to be the end of it all—Autumn had said so. Autumn had also told us that there was no way to counter the prophecies set in motion... she had always known that we would face Apocalymon in the end.

But she had also known that Mari, Hideto and Kiyoko would _die_. I wondered vaguely if Autumn had seen us win or lose against Apocalymon and if that vision would have changed after Alias III had been saved. I supposed it didn't matter now, because we didn't have them to help us. We didn't have Neo, or Kurayami or Michael and Willis either. Ryou and Alice's strange earthbound spirit were stuck in our true time as well. As far as we could tell.

"I'm a little confused still," Daisuke admitted as we made our way down the street.

"It's entirely straightforward," Ken moaned as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I've run it over for you ten times now, what part don't you understand?"

Daisuke looked to Ken sheepishly and then sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "All of it, honestly." Ken groaned and Miyako let out a laugh. I was amazed at the sound because she was as much a worrier as I was, and yet even in this situation she was finding time to smile. Perhaps she was underestimating Apocalymon simply because we had defeated him before. Apocalymon was filled with the richest and purest darkness, and even pure light energy would struggle against his force. We had always defeated him with the Crests before, but would he be immune now that he had Kurayami's Crest of Darkness?

"Look guys," Daisuke tried to reason with them. "Travelling through time isn't normal. Even for us. It's confusing and you have to admit that it doesn't make sense."

"But what part is confusing?" Miyako asked, rolling her eyes.

Daisuke looked to her, flabbergasted that she still couldn't see his point. "Uh, okay, so we're not in our own time. Presumably we're in the past, right?" Miyako and Ken both nodded. "But when are we? We are here still—on Earth, in the same neighborhood—but we don't know what time period we landed in."

"That's exactly right," Ken nodded and was happy that Daisuke understood but possibly missed Daisuke's confusion in the process. I understood both sides, but I was leaning more toward Ken because it really was quite simple. Sure we had no idea what time period we were in, but we knew we had travelled through time thanks to Mimi who was staying very quiet during the whole conversation but was obviously listening intently.

"Well," Daisuke shrugged, "were we always here?" The question seemed to somehow go over both Miyako and Ken's heads. "Say we're alive right now, right? In this time—I mean little us. Imagine a little Miyako or Ken running arou—"

"I think we understand, Daisuke," Ken said, bitter that Daisuke was talking down to him, though it seemed unintentional for sure.

"I definitely am alive here in this time," Miyako said aloud, though she was probably saying it to herself more than anything. "Gennai just said he was sending Terriermon and Lopmon to Willis. Willis is alive, and he's only ten days older than me—assuming he didn't receive his partners at such an early time in his life... hmm... maybe he did." She turned to the group. "Does anyone know when Willis got his partners?" I looked around as well, hoping to find the answer in Koushiro or Hikari but they, along with everyone else said nothing. "Does anyone know _anything_ about Willis?" Again, nothing.

Silence overwhelmed us until Hikari broke it. "He loves to bake pie," she said weakly. "And I know he loves parties and watching football even if he doesn't understand what goes on. An—"

Daisuke interrupted Hikari which she seemed relieved about because she really didn't know enough about Willis after dating him for as long as she had. Takeru gripped her hand warmly and comforted her. "Anyway," Daisuke had said, drawing attention back to himself. "So what if the Miyako of this timeline runs into you now. Does that mean she always did? Does that mean you could remember running into an older version of yourself? Or are we creating a new timeline? If that's the case, shouldn't we be really careful and gentle about where we step?"

"Time is very confusing," Iori said calmly, startling me. All eyes rounded on him and I found that he was standing right next to me as we walked onward toward the overhead darkness that was Apocalymon's unfinished body. "Daisuke is right, and we have to be careful. Time travel has no real rules, and while I've never actually taken part myself, I'm familiar with the stories we've heard." Mimi's face turned red when Iori looked directly at her. "When Hikari and Mimi went back to oversee the creation of the Digital World," he said. "We can assume that had already happened. We can also assume that what we change in the past affects our timeline, as seen when Mimi brought Gennai back from the dead, and when she ordered Mari to save me from the knife." Miyako and Ken shared a nervous look because they hadn't realized the varying rules of the time travel. "We may have been here when the year passed normally, or we may be in a time stream we were never meant to return to. We may drastically change our timeline and we may not."

"Miyako," Yamato said quickly. "Do you remember me betting you that I could beat you to Mimi's restaurant on the day that Sora..." his voice trailed off as he looked toward her. Miyako slowly nodded and Yamato looked relieved that our destiny had always been to save Sora and that we hadn't messed with the time stream in order to do any of that.

"Daisuke is also valid in being confused for another very serious reason," Iori added. Once again all eyes turned to Iori and he clearly felt uncomfortable. "When Mimi sent us back in time we were all grouped together, while our partners vanished. At the very least Gomamon and Agumon should be here because Taichi and Jou were holding the two of them." I remembered well that my partner had been wrapped in my arms when I had seen Mimi's flash of light. Iori was not wrong. "And what happened to Gaia—why did Apocalymon end up all the way over there?" he pointed to the distance and sighed. "None of this makes any sense. We're in the past, yes, but what do we do now?"

Everyone was silent and Iori was desperate for someone to take the attention away from him and as much as I wanted to do that for him, I just couldn't find anything to say. "I can't believe _Iori_ just agreed with me," Daisuke laughed, holding his hand up for Iori to give him a high five. Iori looked awkwardly toward him and shied away. Daisuke's face turned red and he dropped his arm. "P-probably because of Kurayami, right?" Iori tried to laugh politely but no sound came out.

I hated seeing him wounded inside and out. It wasn't fair that he had been taken. And it certainly wasn't fair that we still hadn't properly avenged him. Bagramon had to be dealt with in one way or another—sooner rather than later—but right now we had to focus on Apocalymon and nothing else. I was sure Iori understood but that didn't make it fair.

"Speaking of digimon," Sora said, grabbing Taichi's arm. He stopped and turned to look at her, immediately understanding. "Why are we walking toward Apocalymon—?"

"I know," Taichi said sharply.

"But how will—?"

"I don't know." He cut her off again and she seemed to comprehend his feelings well. "I don't know how to fight without them. We _need_ them to fight. How the hell are we supposed to kill the Chaos without our partners?"

"What if we just left them behind?" Takeru asked slowly.

"No," Mimi said. "They were definitely in the light. BurstRosemon was standing right next to me."

Takeru shook his head, "No," he said. "What if we left them behind with Gennai? What if you can't exist in the same place at the same time?"

"Impossible," Koushiro said quickly shutting down Takeru's theory. "Mimi was with us when Piedmon tried to kill Iori and she was with Katsue and Mari when they stopped that from happening. Besides, even if that was true, where would Wormmon, Veemon, Hawkmon or Armadillomon be? They were not resurrected in the same way as the rest of our partners."

"You're right," Takeru said, "but then—"

A horrified scream filled the air and we all immediately turned to Apocalymon in the sky, assuming he had made his first strike, but his overbearingly dark cloud was still swirling in the sky and while there seemed to be dark flashes of what appeared to be lightning in the blackness it didn't seem to be the cause of the commotion. The screams had come from our right. When we turned to look we found the Hikarigaoka park and a crowd of young teenagers running away from something large and blue.

I straightened my glasses to get a closer look and found that it was Kabuterimon, running full speed toward those same teenagers, screaming at them. "I'm not as scary as I look, I promise! Don't run!" Mimi snorted on confined laughter but Koushiro let out a loud groan and immediately set off toward him.

"Well, at least we know they came back," I said aloud. Taichi nodded to me and was already smiling like a crazy person before he set off with Sora as they hurried after Koushiro. Takeru was laughing and set off after them as well, thinking the whole scenario was hilarious, but I stayed back. I did not feel the need to exert myself anymore than I would have to. I wanted to save my energy for the true fight.

The rest of us watched as Kabuterimon wrestled with his partner, attempting to get back to the frightened teens.

"So," Hikari was trying to sound casual but she sounded anything but. She was nervous, scared and worried. "W-Willis... he's okay. I saw him."

"Yeah he's fine," Mimi nodded, confused. She didn't understand why Hikari was worried at all. "He had a pretty close call back at the Coliseum I hear though. Astamon evolved with the power of the Digimental of Destiny and nearly killed him."

Hikari's eyes widened in fear and I felt the same sense of madness overcome me, but there was something about the knowing look written all over Hikari's face that truly frightened me. "I saw him die in a vision," she explained. "I saw him die. Astamon is coming back for him—I saw it."

"No," Mimi said, taking Hikari's hand gently. "Astamon is dead."

"H-how is that possible?" Hikari asked. Miyako and Iori both moved to stand with the girls to help Hikari understand. I was sure I already did. It had to be Mari or Kiyoko, or even Hideto. They were sitting outside of the regular time stream...

Autumn's visions were how Iori and Hikari and Kurayami were able to see the future. Perhaps she always knew Willis would die. Perhaps she knew we would lose against Apocalymon without Willis, and saving the lives of Alias III made it possible for us to win with the power of all Crests. Autumn had to have always known how this would play out... except she could never have seen a future with Willis or even Alias III in it because that simply went against the limitations of her power.

Not even Autumn knew how this battle was going to end. But if there was one thing I was sure of it was that we would need Willis and the others as well. This battle was going to come back to present day, and we had to make sure that happened or we weren't going to stand a chance. This was especially true since we could not win with only Tentomon and Koushiro. We needed the other partners.

My wish came true quite quickly, surprisingly, but it could have come more gracefully.

Fear and panic shot to the core of my being when I saw her rush past. It was Yorokobi and she was at the end of the next street. I was sure she hadn't seen me or the others, but I had seen _her_. And she was not alone. In her arms was Patamon.

So we weren't alone in the past. Yorokobi had come with us. She couldn't mess with the delicate time stream. We couldn't let her run free. And somehow, I found it to be a good idea to run off without requesting assistance. My anger was clouding my judgement and there I went, running full speed down the street, ignoring my previous decision to save that energy. Patamon needed my help.

I heard someone call my name as I whipped around the corner and I looked back for only a moment and spotted Yamato. There were others as well but I couldn't take the time to investigate. This was important. They would come with me or they wouldn't.

But I had lost sight of Yorokobi.

Yamato slammed into me and Daisuke and Ken both rushed past, sliding to a stop, and turning back to me. "What is it?" Daisuke asked sharply.

I pointed down the street to the place I was sure Yorokobi had gone. "She's here—with Patamon." My words were coming out through pants and deep breaths. I still hadn't had time to rest after our battle in the streets with Gaia, or saving Momoe and fighting Bagramon, or the initial war at the Temple or the fight with Morganna. I needed to sit down and relax. I was getting far too old for this.

"Who?" Yamato asked in a growl. "Who has him?"

"Yoroko—"

My words were cut off by a sharp cry of "Boom Bubble!"

Yamato was running down a street that I would never have guessed, and Ken and Daisuke were going after him a moment later. I wound myself up and felt my back crack and literally felt like an eighty year old man as I chased after the three of them. Patamon was in danger, and sure Yorokobi wasn't the most dangerous enemy we had ever faced, but she certainly wasn't a harmless flower. Patamon wasn't much of a fighter on his own and was probably far too exhausted to evolve to Angemon without Takeru's help.

I was thankful for Yamato's protective instinct for his brother's partner because it led us quickly to the place where Patamon had cried out. We all came around the corner to where Yorokobi was standing, holding Patamon tightly to her chest as she laughed at his attempts to escape her.

Yamato's snarling picked up again and Daisuke's fingers rolled into fists as he stormed forward. My eyes followed him until I caught sight of the digimon tied to a fire hydrant in the distance.

A surge of pure rage filled me as I raced forward, passing Daisuke and catching Yorokobi's attention. I shoved my hands forward and hit both shoulders, causing her to topple backwards before she caught herself and I slid to a stop in front of Gomamon, who looked infinitely relieved to see me. "I can't reach the rope," Gomamon said. "I was trying to bite it—where the heck are we and where on _Earth_ did she get a rope?"

"Valid questions," I assured him as I pulled the cords loose. He was freed a moment later and he ignored my open arms, jumping out toward Yorokobi and prepared himself for a fight.

My mind was as exhausted as my aching body and when I turned to him I found that I was hoping for the fight to go quickly. I didn't have the energy to keep going right now. I needed a nice long bath and some snacks. I needed to relax on a couch with Renjio, Emiko and all the others. I needed Bearmon and Monmon and even MarineAngemon to be there with us as we embraced total stillness—something I was sure I would never get to experience—and of course Momoe as well. I was scared for her and where she stood. I couldn't remember if I had seen her on the battlefield. I could not force my mind to visualize Mimi's arrival. Had she taken Momoe, or left her behind?

It didn't matter because I had to focus on the here and now. Or rather the here and _then_ , because this had probably already happened. But it was happening right _now_ as well.

Yorokobi, like myself, was expecting Gomamon to strike and she flinched away, clamping her eyes shut tight but then, to everyone's surprise, Gomamon chose not to attack at all. "Hideto was always right, you know?"

Yorokobi's eyes opened in a fury as she rounded on him, still holding Patamon close to herself. Yamato looked like he wanted to pin her down and tie her up to stop her from ever harming one of his friends again, and Ken and Daisuke similarly looked prepared to save Patamon from her clutches. Hopefully we would not need their assistance.

"You were wrong, and you know it's true," Gomamon said in his sly little voice. He knew what he was doing and clearly he was deliberately making her angry, but hoping to speak to the inner conscience that she surely had to have. "Everyone always told you that you were wrong, but you didn't believe them. Your parents conditioned you to think you were right no matter what, so when everyone told you that wasn't the case you thought that you were more evolved—you thought you were simply more intelligent than everyone on the planet because you were the _only_ one in the right—"

"No," Yorokobi snapped foolishly. " _You're_ wrong!"

"That's just not true," Gomamon said in a sad, defeated voice. "I was really hoping you'd be able to understand. When you have a different opinion than the majority, that _can_ sometimes mean that you need to speak out and state your opinion... but that's only true if your opinion is _helpful_ , or _kind_." Gomamon's eyes flicked to Ken and received a smile from our friend. "When your hatred is what helps you stand apart from the crowd you are given a clear view of the world from the underside of someone's dirty boot. Your opinion is _mean_ and you're just not looking at things in a positive way. I'm very sorry, Yorokobi, but I'm not going to let you hurt my friend."

"You can't stop me!" Yorokobi snapped loudly. "I have to do this for Gaia! She will grant me power that my parents no longer can!" Yorokobi's eyes were brimming with tears from Gomamon's words because he _had_ been successful. Whatever inner part of Yorokobi's sanity that held the capacity for comprehension had heard his words and understood. Even if she fought the words away, she knew they had to be true. It was entirely possible that she would convince herself that Gomamon had been wrong, and that he was just stupid, but there was nothing we could do to stop that.

We _could_ do something to stop her from hurting Patamon.

"You need to let him go," Daisuke said in a voice that sounded far too calm to be coming from him in his clearly angered state. Yorokobi was looking to Daisuke from the corner of her eyes but she didn't turn her head away from Patamon. At least she didn't until Yamato spoke up.

"Drop him _now_ , Yorokobi."

Her pure hatred for Yamato, who had been a large participant in ruining the career of her parents by simply representing the digimon, showed its face in that instant and she did as he asked, dropping Patamon who was caught unaware and landed roughly on the paved surface below. Yorokobi wound her foot back and kicked him sharply which angered Yamato further. He let out a cry of anger and stormed toward her but Yorokobi had expected this and drew a knife from the bag at her side.

Yamato staggered to a stop and froze, taking in the sight of Yorokobi and her knife until her beautiful lips curled into a devilish smile and she lunged forward, knife in hand.

"Gomamon," I ordered sharply. He was busy looking over Patamon but obeyed quickly and shot off. I scooped Takeru's fallen partner into my arms and looked to him. He groaned softly but opened his eyes at my touch and smiled. He would be okay.

Gomamon slammed into Yorokobi's legs and she stumbled to the side, but caught herself on the brick wall of the alley next to her and acted quickly, slicing that damned knife in his direction. I tightened my grip on Patamon and he flinched, climbing from my arms. I apologized quickly but he paid me no mind.

With Gomamon having jumped back to avoid her, Yorokobi took her shot at Yamato and he could do nothing but avoid her until he found an open shot at her without fear of her knife.

"Marching Fishes!" Gomamon chanted, motioning toward the fire hydrant. As if it made any sense, the side popped off and several colourful fish began flying out from the opening as the water shot out into the street away from us. The fish began flying toward Yorokobi who slapped foolishly at them until they were all laying helplessly on the ground, flopping around as fish out of water would normally do.

Yorokobi had been distracted though and we tried to slip away, leaving her—even though my heart told me it was a terrible idea—but she screamed loudly and whipped a rock toward Daisuke when she caught sight of us.

"This is ridiculous," Daisuke groaned, stepping into the fight. "There are six of us, and one of her—" Yorokobi let out a shriek as Daisuke came closer and she turned on him instead giving Ken a clear path where he tackled her to the ground.

Yamato and Daisuke let out laughs filled with relief but I was more in tune with Gomamon's sorrow—as he helped his fish friend back to the water. It was just sad that Yorokobi had been conditioned to be this monster her entire life. She did not create this persona herself. It had always been her parents. Sure, she could have fought against it, like Puraido, or Hideto, but as a child, it was not her responsibility. Parenting could be hard—but it was very easy to explain the concept of unconditional love.

The fight had ended quickly, as I had hoped, and Ken had pulled out a set of shimmering silver handcuffs and attached Yorokobi to one of the pipes that ran up the brick wall next to us. I began to plan out what we should do with her, and how we were going to ensure she stayed here until we came back but I didn't get a chance to run my ideas by the others because Yorokobi threw her head back and let out a horrifying scream of agony.

At first I thought it was tactless and formless sounds, but as she continued to scream again and again I heard a single word—a name—in the midst of the distress. "GAIA!" she screamed out. "GAIA! GAIA! _GAIA_!"

Fear shot through me when the realization truly sank in. We couldn't stick around to watch Gaia save Yorokobi, and the constricted girl seemed so sure Gaia _would_ save her, like she knew she was back in time with the rest of us. I was scared for the others. "We have to go _now_ ," Daisuke ordered, without taking our opinions into account. I agreed anyway, and together we ran away from Yorokobi, back the way we had come but this time we had both Patamon and Gomamon by our sides.

We were nearly to the end of the alley when Yorokobi's screams stopped entirely. Together we all stopped in our tracks and turned back to see Yorokobi looking up with great pleasure to the beautiful woman that stood over her, still wearing the bloody armour she had chosen for the war. Gaia smiled to Yorokobi and reached down to the handcuffs trapping the girl and holding her in place. Though she was still very beautiful Gaia looked truly insane now. I had only seen her from afar ever since she had taken the castle in Sidhendor—aside from a quick glimpse in the temple when she took that castle as well. The stark difference between the way she looked then and now was truly amazing.

I wanted to run while she was busy but Daisuke had other ideas and was going to take a stand against her. I was so sure he had lost his senses until I spotted the blue digimon tied up with vines and being dragged behind her.

 _Veemon_.

"Digivolve!" Daisuke ordered quickly, catching Veemon's attention. His eyes lit up and Veemon nodded, leaping to his feet and shifting quickly to his mega form. The vines that held him broke immediately and Gaia stopped hesitating, pulling on the chain that held Yorokobi, breaking it with ease. Yorokobi gasped in pain as the metal scraped her wrist, but she soon found joy in being freed by her queen who turned sharply to UlforceVeedramon and slammed her open hand into his chest.

I let out a strangled yelp as he fell back. I hadn't expected Gaia to be as powerful as she now was.

"Her balance is back in order," Patamon noted along the same lines as my own thoughts. "Yggdrasil's death set her off, but without Apocalymon holding her in the darkness she is perfectly balanced again."

"So what does that mean?" I asked, nervous.

"It means I have to help," Gomamon said, rushing forward without a second thought. He shifted to Plesiomon, pressing against the walls on either side. He just didn't fit. He shot water toward Gaia, but without being able to move further he wasn't going to be able to help much in any sort of combat.

With Plesiomon blocking the path I could not see any of what was happening beyond him, and Daisuke was ready to snap from the fear and nervousness of not being able to find his partner.

When a vine shot from below and wrapped tightly around Plesiomon's neck I understood how Daisuke felt. It wasn't fair that we always had to ask our partners to fight. I felt a sense of anger and determination now, as if I was so sure I would finally fulfill my promise to the world and end this war if we tried hard enough.

"Digivolve again!" I ordered loudly.

" **Plesiomon digivolve to... Aegisdramon!** "

The golden beast appeared in the alley, snapping the vine and also crushing the walls that had been restricting him. "Tera Hydro Breath!"

Before the high pressured water could strike Gaia she had leapt high into the air with Yorokobi held tightly to her side, landing once on Aegisdramon's head and then, as she kicked off again, it became clear to me that she was coming our way.

Patamon shifted to Angemon but looked rather worn out and when Gaia landed she made quick work of knocking him out of the way, simply brushing him aside. The only positives I could find at that moment were that she was _fleeing_. She was escaping because she either did not want to bother with my super ultimate partner, or because she _couldn't_. Either way, I knew that meant we could stand a chance as a team.

Patamon landed in Ken's arms and then Gaia kicked off the ground once more, and she seemed to go in slow motion this time, turning her wicked eyes toward me. Her hair was wild and stringy—far less regal than it had once been, and Yorokobi now looked entirely _broken_. Gaia was so sure she was going to get away now, and I wanted her to go. I didn't think we would stand enough of a chance against her.

But Yamato thought differently.

He grabbed Yorokobi's dangling foot and he pulled sharply, dragging her from Gaia's hold. Both women came tumbling to the ground, but Gaia managed to catch herself, landing on her feet with bent knees.

With a terrifying calmness she reached back for Yamato and smiled. "How about you then, instead?"

And then she was gone, dragging him into the air as she leapt, leaving Yorokobi stranded.

The girl screamed in terror but struggled to her feet and was running away a moment later.

Somehow she didn't matter anymore. Whatever harm she caused would be remedied later. Right now, Gaia had Yamato, and that was more pressing.

Gaia landed on the top of a building with Yamato struggling to get away, and thankfully we had UlforceVeedramon who was able to follow her quickly. Gaia stalled his pursuit by swinging a foot around and slamming it into his chest, sending him hurdling down toward Aegisdramon.

And then she disappeared, and when UlforceVeedramon followed her once more, there was no sign of her. She was gone, and she had taken Yamato with her.

 **Next on Digimon Adventure 09:** A three part chapter is next with Mimi, Matt and Ken taking us through their final narrations of the series, leading the way through a better understanding of where we are and what we're up to in this time.


	2. Little Talks

**Y/N:** This time around I wrote one of my favourite Ken chapters, and I enjoyed writing Mimi's as well. I hope that the feelings are mutual, and that you like reading them too.

 **U/N:** I only wrote one part this time, and it was Matt. I had a lot of fun with his interactions with a certain psychopath and I hope the chapter receives the response it's meant to. Matt is kind of a difficult character to write because he's kind of confusing. Especially since we sort of merged the dub and the original version. Oh well, this is kind of the end for Matt, I hope you like it.

 **Title: Digimon Adventure 09: Free**

 **By: YukiraKing and UrazamayKing**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Digimon or its characters.**

 **Tri-pocalypse**

 **Chapter 02: Little Talks**

 ** _Yamato Ishida:_**

The realization that Gaia wasn't going to kill me came pretty quickly. She was not even attempting to strike me, and was instead dragging me along behind her. I was glad, to some degree because there was no way I could fight off Gaia alone. She was stronger than me in every aspect. But at the same time, I wished she would just stab me through the heart and rid me of the embarrassment and humiliation of being dragged around by a crazy person.

What she wanted to do with me, if not to kill me, I did not know, but I wished she would just tell me because at the very least I did deserve to know where I was being taken.

Her slender fingers were wrapped around my wrist and I couldn't do anything to free myself from her, and no matter how many times I tried to pull free she would somehow find a way to hold tighter still. Her grip was clamping down sharply now and it felt like my bones would soon snap in two. Gaia's strength seemed to be immeasurable and somehow her power was radiating off of her and seeping into my pores. Like the air at a greasy burger joint, I could feel the thickness and the negativity that surrounded her, and I wanted nothing more than to free myself from her grasp.

But how could I save myself? Aegisdramon and UlforceVeedramon hadn't been able to easily defeat her—if they would have been able to at all—and I was _definitely_ not as strong as the two of them. Or even _one_ of them. So I knew I would have to wait this out and slowly discover where it was that she was taking me and hope to make an escape at the end of the line, otherwise I knew I would wind up dead.

But why wasn't she killing me _now_?

It was strange to be dragged through such familiar streets and yet recognize nothing at all. The regular restaurants that were supposed to be there had not yet even been thought of, the trees that had been planted were so small still, and every advertisement was dragging me painfully through my childhood—much like Gaia was doing as well. What time had we been taken to?

As I scanned the faces of the populace—the few people who were actually outside, which somehow wasn't very many—and found that I didn't recognize any of them, but that I hated every one of them. Why weren't they trying to help me? One of them snorted with laughter and another simply stared. One glared at _me_ as if I were the problem disturbing her baby as I called to them for help.

Why couldn't they see that there was a problem here? I was embarrassed still, but would have been thankful for their assistance. I figured I knew why they weren't helping but I didn't want to admit it. If a man was dragging a woman around, then that would be an issue—depending how far back we came I supposed—but since it was Gaia, a seemingly delicate flower of beauty, there was nothing wrong because I could simply overpower her and abuse could only go one way.

Maybe my mind was jumping too quickly to a place of typical societal alignment, because I had come from a time where people were actually seeking equality, but it made sense to me. If they saw _me_ dragging _her_ , there would be an issue. But they didn't seem to realize that I _couldn't_ overpower her. She was stronger than I was and she wanted to kill me.

And sure, I was embarrassed and felt humiliated, but it wasn't because she was a woman—I didn't care about being defeated by a woman. I wasn't like that. What I cared about was that I was being dragged around and no one was helping me. Period.

Thankfully, that didn't last forever.

"What do you think you're doing?"

I spun around quickly to see who had spoken. Gaia staggered to a stop and I nearly tripped over her extended leg. I took the opportunity of our stillness to use my free hand to pry her fingers away from my wrist but she was simply too powerful, and did not even look my way. Giving it everything I had didn't even register as something she needed to pay attention to. Gaia was too powerful.

When finally I had looked to the woman who had spoken my heart sank. She was standing in a beautiful kimono and her hair was pulled back into an elegant bun on the back of her head. She was so _young_ here, but it was definitely her, coming back from the grocery store with a big brown paper bag full of vegetables in her arms. The sun was gone now, but the light from the streetlamps was casting a rather eerie glow across her pretty face that was somehow exuding confidence, gracefulness and anger all at the same time. She was always good at that though.

"Who are you?" Gaia snapped loudly.

Toshiko Takenouchi chose not to answer the question. "Why are you harming this boy?" she barked in her perfect voice.

"That is none of your concern, you peasant!" Gaia snapped, and spit came from her mouth.

Toshiko seemed disgusted as a single drop landed on her cheek. She gently reached up to wipe it off and then looked back to Gaia. "This is unacceptable. This is abuse, you realize? I will not have you doing this on my street."

Her street? So she lived here during this time? I supposed that made sense. Sora had once said she lived here in her early years, so her mother could have lived here longer and we would never know. Unless we asked her of course, but it sort of felt like I wasn't going to get that chance. Unless of course Gaia was taking me to a five star restaurant and treating me for my hard work over the years, but that really didn't seem likely.

"Release him," Toshiko ordered.

I looked to Gaia, impressed with Toshiko's bravery, but then again, she thought this was a normal woman. Gaia was anything _but_ normal. I saw her free hand twitch and vines began to sprout from the ground, slinking silently through the cracks in the old paved street. Toshiko did not see them, and she would not see them in time. I knew that.

"Toshiko you need to leave now," I snapped.

She turned to me, shocked. "Who are you?" She asked inquisitively, "how do you know my name?"

"I know everything about you," I exaggerated, "that's why you need to trust me and _go_." Toshiko looked like she had several follow up questions, but I couldn't let her waste any more time. "Thank you for trying to help, but you need to leave before she _kills_ you." Toshiko's face finally seemed to show the amount of fear that I would have expected from her and she slowly shook her head as if to say she wouldn't leave me alone with the psychotic woman. "I'm _fine_! Go!" I insisted, but still Toshiko wavered in her decision. " _Now_!"

Finally Toshiko gave in and she turned on the spot, running from Gaia and I, holding her groceries close to her chest. She was worried and frightened, but I hoped she at least had Haruhiko around to comfort her. I knew he spent a lot of time working in Tokoyo, so she may have been running back to an empty house for all I knew.

"How valiant," Gaia said sarcastically. "You should have let her help you. You would have a better chance at escaping."

"So I let her _die_ so I can be free?" I asked sharply. "Not a chance. I'm not a cold hearted _bitch_ , like you." Gaia looked back to me with her nostrils flared. "I have been raised by my father and by the Digital World itself to always be true to my Crest and the Crests of the others. Every single Crest will gently suggest that you don't kill random people for no good reason."

Gaia tightened her grip on my wrist and I gasped in pain, wishing I hadn't said anything at all. "You are a fool who knows nothing of _power_."

"I don't know," I said through my gritted teeth. "I felt pretty powerful when I showed Gabumon my true Friendship. He evolved to a super ultimate and we tore straight through Arkadimon—our strongest foe at that point in time. I mean Yggdrasil was pretty strong as well, but we made quick work of him too. Oh sorry, did that offend you? He was your other half and all."

Gaia slapped me across the face and the tingling pain spread through my entire body somehow. It felt as though every nerve in my body was screaming frantically and running around from some horror movie villain. My knees gave way and I fell to the paved street and Gaia grabbed my face in one hand, squeezing it tightly as she looked me dead in the eyes.

I hated that my first thought was how pretty her eyes were.

"Yggdrasil may have been half of my heart, but I was not there to protect him," she snapped. "If you think you will be able to defeat my other half—my _true_ half—then you are seriously deranged. This time _I_ will be here. I will be able to defend my darkness like I could not do my light."

I wanted to stay quiet and to _not_ speak, but I could not stop myself. "You'll defend him like you defended Maugrim then?" I asked, my voice coming out in a slurred jumble because she was still squeezing my face. "He's dead because of you, did you realize that? You killed him—the only person who was standing by your side."

Gaia's eyes had tears in them for a brief moment, but they were quickly washed away. "Maugrim never stood by my side. Not willingly. The only allies I truly have are Astamon and Bagramon."

"Astamon is dead too—" Gaia slapped me again, but I wasn't finished. "And if Bagramon doesn't die soon I'll do it with my bare hands for what he did to Iori." She slapped me again. This time she wasn't satisfied though and she slapped me once more, finally releasing my wrist, but only for a moment. She grabbed it again, differently this time and she leapt over my head, bringing her foot sharply to the small of my back. A moment later I was pressed down against the street with the small pebbles of the ground digging into my cheek, and Gaia had my arm held behind me.

I was so scared she would break it.

Instead, she held me in my new painful position for a moment or two and then released me. She removed her foot from my back and then pulled me to my feet. "Do not disrespect me again, or you will meet the same fate as all of your fallen friends."

"If you wanted me dead you would have done it already," I noted. Gaia looked angry and annoyed and for a moment, based from the fury in her eyes, I was so sure she was going to snap my arm in two but instead she simply turned away from me and began dragging me once more.

It was clear to me this time that I had been correct. Gaia did not want me dead—at least not yet. There was something she was going to use me for that I knew I would hate more than death. I did not want to assist her plans or her rise to power in any way, no matter how small. Gaia had already taken the Digital World by destroying the Temple, and she had taken Sidhendor, and Witchenly, and the Land of Dreams and she had put Neverland back together only to take it as well. She was ruling everything and I wasn't going to continue letting her.

If, when we arrived at our destination, I found that she wanted me to help her power grow, I would do what had to be done. I would kill myself.

It sounded dark and it definitely was. But I would do it if it meant keeping Gaia from winning the war. It was my _duty_ as a Digidestined to ensure that the worlds found peace. I would do _everything_ in my power to keep that from becoming a reality.

As Gaia began to drag me I began theorizing about where she was taking me. The only logical place that I could come up with was under Apocalymon's cloud of darkness. He was still forming, but that made sense to me. She would bring me to Apocalymon and perhaps he would decide what to do with me. There was a small spark in the back of my mind that was scared Gaia needed to replace Maugrim. She needed a 'loyal' servant and someone she could rely on. I was scared she would try to brainwash me into filling that role, even if I knew it wasn't something I would do. Even if I knew it was something _Gaia_ wouldn't want. It was still a fear that I could not completely wash away.

And besides, Apocalymon made more sense. Gaia had said ' _my true half'_ as if she were only half of herself and that Apocalymon made up that half's heart. In that aspect, I supposed it made sense that what Maugrim had explained to us would come to play here. Terra, Gaia's other personality, would represent Yggdrasil and peace...

I cleared my throat as I planned my tactics, but I couldn't think of anything to lead with. Sora and Taichi had been trying to get me to just go with things since I was eleven, so I figured now was as good a time as any to just take the leap. "So Terra," I said loudly. Immediately Gaia tightened her grip on my wrist, but this was different than the other times. She simply stiffened at the sound of her other name, and her anger was either concealed or not present. "Terra?" I prodded. "You're the good one, right? What do you think about all of this? Don't you think that Gaia is going too far?"

"Do not speak with her!" Gaia shrieked loudly, turning sharply to slam her fist into my shoulder. I cried out loudly and stumbled back, but Gaia was holding tight and she pulled me back quickly. "Do not ever speak with her."

"Is that you talking?" I asked. "Or is that Terra?" Once more Gaia wound her hand back to slap me across the face, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. I felt a sort of exhilaration in me now. I was pumped with adrenaline and my own anger and pain was finding an outlet in making Gaia angry instead. It wasn't a healthy relationship, but quite frankly, I didn't care. "How does Terra feel about you killing Maugrim? Harmonia? _Theta_? Surely the two of you don't agree on _everything_. There must be something that you've done that has been against Terra's wishes."

Gaia looked furious now and somehow that felt like an accomplishment to me. I wondered briefly if this was what it felt like to be Taichi. "The story states that Gaia loved Maugrim but found that she was not alone in that. Terra also loved him, right? So what did Terra think when the love of her life was betrayed by her other personality?" This time Gaia did not strike me, but instead turned her head to look to the distant ground, biting her lip. "Maugrim is _dead_! Do you even understand what that means? You will _never_ see him again. Maugrim _cannot_ return to this world and has chosen Harmonia over you! Maybe he wouldn't have _done_ that if you hadn't _killed_ his wife!"

" _Enough_!" Gaia ordered loudly. "You will suffer for your insolence!" She twisted her hand back and a vine wrapped around her forearm before forming a sharp point at the end, extending from her hand. This was it. She was going to kill me now. I was somehow glad. I wanted to meet death bravely and gracefully rather than helping Gaia in her schemes. She was quick to draw her arm back but she froze suddenly. "No he will not." She said sharply. "I don't _care_ what we need him for—well I certainly _do_. We must gain more power, you idiot girl—we have _enough_ power—we will _never_ have enough power!"

My eyes slowly widened in confusion as the two halves of Gaia began arguing with one another. There was anger in her face, and then there was annoyance, and it went back and forth between the two until she let out a cry of pain and sorrow, where tears began to fall from her cheeks. For the slightest of moments I felt bad for her before everything she had done came flooding back into my mind. She was not a good woman. "W-we need him for his Crest!"

That made sense. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of that before—while I wasn't sure what they wanted with the Crest I was sure it wasn't good. I did want to know though... I wondered if asking Gaia would be a terrible idea, but somehow I found myself asking anyway. "What do you need my Crest for?"

She looked up from where she was in a crumpled heap, propped up by her knees and glared. I wished she would just let go of my arm so I could escape if she wasn't going to at least answer me. But she _did_ , to my surprise. "Apocalymon needs the Crests. Yggdrasil is dead and because of that the balance is shifted. _I_ am unbalanced now. Apocalymon needs the Crests for my truest power to return."

I laughed, and somehow that set Gaia back into normal action mode. She slid quickly and easily to her feet and she pulled me closer to her face, glaring with rage all the while. "What is so funny, boy?"

"Well I don't have the Crest," I shrugged. "At least not all of it. We're all just like you now, Gaia. We all have two parts. When the Crest came back to us after you stole them they split in two. Gabumon has half of my Crest. You need _two_ people for friendship to work—well, _you_ don't, because there are two of you—"

I knew I shouldn't have said it, but I couldn't stop myself. And then Gaia was coming at me with her strange vine blade and I knew death was coming. I knew—even though it was against Gaia's plans—that she was going to kill me now.

"Spiral Twister!"

Gaia shrieked as a blast of fire shot straight between the two of us and even released me for the first time since she had caught me. I did not hesitate to take advantage of this, and I turned and I ran. I caught sight of Biyomon nearby and I felt only fear for her. I was not happy she had saved me. Without Sora she could not evolve high enough to defeat Gaia and instead of going to get help she had simply put herself in danger as well.

Unless we could run faster than Gaia.

Biyomon was flapping her wings as fast as she could and the two of us were flying down the street the way Gaia had come with me, and I didn't know where to find the others, but I couldn't bring myself to grab my digivice and look. I had to keep running and pushing through the burning sensation that spread through all of my joints.

But all at once I stopped. Not because Gaia had caught me, or because I felt the need to give Biyomon a better chance at survival—but because my ally had fallen.

With a cry of pain Biyomon had slammed into the pavement and I could not leave without her. I just couldn't do it. She was screaming to me, begging me to leave her, but I wasn't going to go. I couldn't go back to Sora and tell her where I had last seen Biyomon.

I would let Biyomon tell the others where _I_ was.

I saw the thin vines wrapping around Biyomon's legs and keeping her in place, and I thought that Gaia would simply reel her back in, like a fish caught in the open sea, but when the sharp vine that Gaia used as a blade came soaring quickly toward the both of us, I knew what was happening.

She was going to _kill_ Biyomon.

I reacted with all of my pent up anger and _caught_ the vine. Held tightly between my clamped fists the vine tried desperately to strike Biyomon and to escape my hold, but I couldn't let it. I couldn't let Biyomon die. Not here. Not _ever_.

I pulled the vine away, pulling with more strength than I even had to offer and when I finally released it, the vine slammed into the sidewalk, splitting the cement in two.

My heart dropped when I saw the vine retracting from the sidewalk. There were only two other people in the streets now and they were both running the opposite direction. It was probably safer that way. "You can't kill her!"I screamed when the vine came back toward us. "She has the Crest of Love! You have to keep her alive!"

Biyomon looked up to me, finally tearing her eyes away from the tangle of vines that held her in place. "She wants the Crests again?" I nodded, but could not answer because Gaia appeared next to us.

She grabbed my wrist once more, and smiled at me, as if to thank me for my information. I felt guilt and anger in my chest and turned away from her. I heard a squeak and knew that she had grabbed Biyomon now too. I hated that I could do nothing more to help her, but at the very least I had given her a little more time. If we could wait until the right moment she could evolve into Birdramon and free herself. Biyomon could still get out of this alive, even if I couldn't.

"I want you to kill me," Biyomon said, startling me. Didn't she understand that Gaia might _actually_ do that for her? "You can't do anything with the Crests anyway, so kill me and spare me the humiliation of helping you. I don't want to do anything for _you_ ever. The Crest of Love is way too precious for someone like you and I don't think you deserve to use it for anything—even if you _could_ figure it out. When your goon Bagramon was chasing us around Yamato and the others told me how you killed Theta. She was the creator of the Crests in general. She loved them more than she loved _you_ , but she loved everything nonetheless. You can't understand love because you also allowed your love to die! If you love someone you have to want them to be happy, and I don't think you understand happiness at all. If happiness was a Crest it sure wouldn't glow for you either." Gaia seemed annoyed with Biyomon's incessant talking, and chose to simply start walking, dragging not just me this time, but Biyomon as well. Biyomon was not done ranting though. "I can't believe someone as evil as you thinks that you could use the Crests. The only traits I think you know are those deadly ones that made everyone crazy five years ago. Greed, Envy, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Gluttony, and Wrath. And just so we're clear, this isn't the Crest of Pride, but just like a general bad sort of pride. And also, maybe not sloth at all—no wait, you always get your minions to do stuff for you, you lazy loser."

My eyes widened at Biyomon's insult but Gaia didn't even seem to be listening. The only proof that she had heard her at all was the slight twitch of her eyebrows, but she pressed onward, dragging us further down the street toward Apocalymon's growing form.

"I mean it's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Biyomon asked loudly, still tugging at Gaia's grip and trying to escape. "You had the Crests with you for months and months. Never did any of them glow, Gaia. You had them, sure, but they're useless unless you understand them. If you can't feel love, or keep a friend, or do something for the greater good or even be _honest_ , then _what_ good are the Crests going to be to you? You'll have a bunch of power floating around you that you will never be able to tap into because you're a twisted sociopath with a sick desire for power, and your disgusting need to always be on top is _completely_ insane and deranged and I think that if you take my Crest from me and kill me, then my friends are going to rip you to shreds before you get a chance to do it to anyone else. Sora, Tentomon, Hawkmon—all of them are going to _destroy_ you, and I _know_ that, because I know them. And I know what the Crests mean and I know that all of my friends have the capability to show those traits inside their heart. That's how I know that they'll save the day in the end, and how I know you'll lose. You'll lose because you're selfish, needy and _alone_."

It was different to see Gaia strike someone else, but Biyomon took the hit well, but somehow _I_ didn't, and I struck Gaia across the face with a balled up fist. Seeing her hit Biyomon like that was just too far, even though our digimon had been taking all the hits for us for so long.

Gaia shrieked in annoyance and released my arm, and I tasted freedom for a second until her hand wrapped around my throat instead. "If you ever touch me in that way again I will end your life so quickly. Without you Digidestined I won't _need_ your Crest power anyway. I am choosing to obtain it for my own gain, but if you _truly_ crave the sweet relief of death, I shall grant you that."

I swallowed thickly and painfully when Gaia finally released my neck. I took in a big gulp of air and then Gaia grabbed my wrist again and finished her walk to Apocalymon.

We had been so close apparently because she eventually stopped and looked up to the giant swirling cloud, clearing her throat. "Apocalymon, my loyal subject." She waited for a response, but there wasn't one, like Apocalymon did not like the way she spoke to him. "I have with me, two half Crests."

"Where are the other halves?"

I had not been expecting a response at all and so the sound of his deep antagonizing voice sent chills through my entire body, straight to the core. I could remember the voice from before, but it sounded sharper and angrier now. We had defeated him twice before, but neither time was he at his full power.

"They are on their way, I am sure," Gaia said with a devious smirk.

"Good," Apocalymon hummed. "I am nearly ready." Biyomon and I exchanged looks of horror. "My form is nearly completed. Soon I will join you."

"I'll be waiting," Gaia responded smoothly, and that was when the fear really sank in.

 ** _Ken Ichijouji:_**

Aegisdramon and UlforceVeedramon crashed down into the street, crushing me against the pavement. I was under the full force of their weight for only five seconds at most, but it felt like an eternity. Soon, Veemon and Gomamon were lying on top of me, but even their considerably lighter weight felt painful to my aching body. I clambered to my feet, once Jou and Daisuke had both removed their partners from their fallen place on my chest and legs. Once I was sure I was breathing properly, and that nothing was broken, I tried to focus. I'd lost my handcuffs, but those were hardly the most useful tools in my arsenal. To be fair, only the guns tucked into holsters on my belt—tucked under the sides of my open jacket, so as not to cause panic among my friends—would be of any real use at that point. One of them wasn't even mine. I'd taken it from Yakuin when he'd been trying to shoot me, and Astamon had gotten involved. Yakuin was still in the hospital, and I hadn't exactly had much free time to return his weapon.

I didn't even _want_ to return it until Gaia was stopped.

Yakuin was one of her most dedicated minions. His mind had been corrupted through Moretsuna's influence, which was attained by Maugrim's efforts—who we now knew was Gaia's most thoroughly brainwashed cohort of all. It was so confusing. I wasn't sure who was acting of their own accord and who wasn't. Only Gaia and Yorokobi seemed definite to me. Yorokobi had continued the fight when Gaia's control had gone. She'd left Earth, heading somewhere that I hadn't bothered to have clarified, and all the other people that she was controlling returned to their natural state. Yorokobi was the only one that was still loyal to Gaia.

That didn't mean she was the only one _entirely_ though, and Yakuin had tried to kill me, so I thought I was rather justified in keeping his firearm away from him. I had to keep the two guns hidden however, because the sight of them freaked Miyako out most of the time—and that was just my own. She wouldn't appreciate me having _two_ guns at my disposal.

I appreciated it though. It gave me a modicum of safety, in an otherwise helpless situation. We had Gomamon, Tentomon, Patamon and Veemon. Patamon was too injured to be of any help. I scooped him off of the ground, where he'd fallen when the two of us were crushed by our digivolved friends. He was groaning softly, and curled into my touch. I knew he wouldn't be able to fight on his own. We needed more than just the four digimon. It was too much pressure to put on our four friends.

"We have to find the others," Daisuke said, instantly taking command. I didn't mind. I was an officer, yes, and I had a lot of training about what to do in _human_ cases of this same thing. But I was far from comfortable with my abilities. It wasn't like Gaia was going to make demands that we could try to work with. It wasn't a normal hostage situation. She was crazed, but she was balanced. She was in control, whether we liked it or not. She had the power that we were lacking.

But she also tried to flee from Aegisdramon's strength, so I knew that we _could_ beat her, with enough luck on our side.

"This is bad," Jou said. "This is _very_ bad. Yamato won't be able to beat her. We just lost Yamato. How are we supposed to tell his parents? How are we supposed to tell Takeru? Or _Sora_?"

"Jou, keep your wits about you," Gomamon said quickly. "There's no time for you to be the logical voice of pessimism. He'll be fine. We'll get him back."

"It is scary though," Patamon added, in support of Jou. "I'm scared for him. I don't want anything to happen to him."

"He'll be fine," Gomamon repeated.

"He will," Daisuke agreed, though he hesitated for a few seconds. "We just need the others to help track Gaia down."

"We don't need the others," Veemon said, shaking his head. "You've got a digivice on your belt. Just use that to find one digivice all by itself. That'll be Yamato, won't it?"

"Good thinking, Veemon," Daisuke said. I pulled out my own digivice, while Daisuke started fiddling with his. He was pressing a button, trying to widen the search. I was more interested in the three signals that were headed our way. We had backup coming to us, without having had to ask for it.

"I'm going to see who it is," I said. Everyone else came with me. Veemon looked exhausted, but he was guiding Daisuke along, while Daisuke tried to triangulate Yamato's location. He couldn't figure it out. There was something wrong. I knew it. He knew it. Everyone realized it pretty quickly. Yamato and Gaia hadn't left long before we started moving. They couldn't have disappeared completely.

But when I thought about it, I realized that _yes_ they could.

Gaia knew how Norn's powers operated. In this time, Yggdrasil also existed, and as he was a part of her heart, it was likely that he'd be far more lenient with her than he really ought to be. She could travel between the worlds. She could conquer them all right now, and there was nothing we could do to stop her. We had one key with us. We could travel through time and that was it. That wasn't enough to be able to stop her. The gates between the worlds hadn't been opened yet. Most worlds were completely sealed off for us still. We might be able to get to the Digital World, if we could find a strong enough internet connection—which really wasn't all that likely since we were either in the late eighties or early nineties. Either Michael or Jenna was being born. There weren't many options to pick from. Internet just wasn't as much of a priority of the world yet.

"Breathe," Patamon instructed me gently.

He was right. I shook the thought from my mind. I didn't have time to worry about what Gaia _might_ do. We had to worry about finding her before she could do _anything_. She wasn't our only worry though. Yorokobi was wandering around somewhere, having escaped while we were busy with Gaia and the whole Yamato situation. She had been abandoned by Gaia in favour of Yamato—who Yorokobi hated with an unparalleled fervour. She was already unhinged due to—according to Gomamon at least—her parent's conditioning as they raised her. She was losing everything she held dearly, was struggling under the realization that she amounted to nothing. She wasn't the cream of the crop. She wasn't the bee's knees, or the princess she believed herself to be. She was whiny, she was helpless, and she was desperate. That was a dangerous combination.

And she was once again free to do whatever she wanted while she roamed the streets of the past, because she _wasn't_ worth our time—not with Gaia _and_ Apocalymon at large. Yorokobi was the gum at the bottom of our shoes: annoying, but relatively harmless.

"We're almost there," Jou said, picking up speed and passing me.

"But where's Yamato?" Daisuke questioned, as Veemon raced after Jou. "We should have seen him by now. It's worrying that we haven't."

"Maybe whoever we're meeting saw him," Patamon said, trying to rally enough hope to spread around. I tried to believe him, but my mind was too distracted by the idea that Gaia might've stolen him away to a different world.

"Hikari!" Veemon cheered. Gomamon struggled out of Jou's arms and moved as fast as he could towards Hikari. Hikari wasn't alone. I knew that, but I was incredibly pleased with the people she'd been travelling with.

"Ken!" Miyako called. "Look, Wormmon, it's Ken!"

Patamon flew from my arms and nestled himself in Hikari's hold, while I moved towards Miyako and Wormmon. I wrapped my arms around them tightly, and Wormmon struggled, before climbing up me and resting on my shoulder, while I held Miyako. She was shaking.

"It's okay," I said, unsure whether I was lying or not, which made me feel incredibly guilty.

"We don't know that," Miyako said, with a sad smile. "Hawkmon is still missing. Iori has Armadillomon, but Gatomon hasn't been found yet either. I don't know how many others are still missing."

"We'll find them," Wormmon said, sounding as though he'd been repeating the same thing over and over again.

"I know," she said. She didn't really believe it though. She was afraid, and it was evident in everything from the way she was holding herself, to the way her eyes shifted constantly from one place to another. She thought someone would jump out and get us at any given moment. She took a shuddering breath and looked into my eyes. "I don't want to leave Mai alone. I didn't want this for her. I didn't want to risk orphaning our daughter. I'm so scared."

"We'll get back to her," I promised, hoping I could deliver. "It's destiny."

"No," Iori said, from his place several feet beyond Miyako. He was practically lurking in the shadows. His eyes too, were shifting from side to side. He was terrified, but the downturn of his lips assured me he hated it. My gut twisted, knowing what he'd gone through.

No.

I didn't actually _know_ what he went through at all. He wouldn't talk about it, and no one was going to press him to say anything. He couldn't sleep, and he couldn't handle anyone getting close to him. That was all that we were able to really glean from him during the incredibly short time since Miyako freed him. He didn't have time to really recover. He was physically still weak. He'd had maybe twenty-four hours at most to get back to himself. He was exhausted and dangerously thin. He was just a shadow of his former, angry self. He was once a strong contender; he was one of our top fighters. He would become that again. I _had_ to believe that. It hurt to think that he might not recover from this. Physically, he had a much better shot at getting over this than he did emotionally.

"Autumn was unable to see the outcome of the final battle," Iori added. "She couldn't foresee what would happen with Apocalymon, because Hideto, Mari, Kiyoko, and now Willis are all involved. They've escaped their destiny, with a little of Autumn's help, but neither Autumn or Gaia were able to _see_ any of Alias III. If they're involved with the defeat of Apocalymon—which I'm hoping they will be, due to the fact that being in the past is not an option really—then Autumn never would have been able to see our victory, or our failure."

"Which is why Gennai was always so adamant about sealing the worlds off after every defeat," Jou said with a sigh. "He wanted us to succeed, and he thought perhaps we _had_."

"We'll win again," Hikari said firmly. "I will not let the chaos win. I won't let any of the kids lose a parent. I _won't_."

"We're a team," Wormmon murmured into my ear, for both Miyako and I to hear. "I'll keep you safe. And when we find Hawkmon, he'll help me. We don't want anything to happen to either of you either. Mai needs you."

"And Poromon needs you and Hawkmon," Miyako told him firmly. "So does Mai. We're a family. We're _all_ a family."

"And we're all fighters," Daisuke pointed out. "Now, I know there are some doubts, but we don't have time for them right now. Gaia's getting away with Yamato as we speak. We need to find the others, or find Gaia. I want Yamato back, and I want him to be alive when we find him."

The reaction the others had to Daisuke's news was overshadowed by a quick response. "It would be safer to get backup first," Armadillomon said, debating with himself. "Gaia is a formidable force. We _might_ have enough strength between us to win, but we also might not. I've never faced her before. I was fighting the digimon she was commanding."

"Taichi and the others aren't far from here," Hikari said quickly. "We came to find you because we thought you'd wandered off, and Miyako found Armadillomon and Wormmon asking humans for directions, which sent them running off in terror."

"We'll just find the others then," Daisuke said, pressing his digivice's button again, searching for anything. "You'll have to lead the way. I think my digivice is malfunctioning."

Hikari led the way, and I walked with one arm around Miyako's shoulders, while she cradled Wormmon. I whispered encouragements to her, though we both knew I was trying to psych myself up, more so than her. She didn't call me out on it though. My mind was whirling with the possibilities still. Was Gaia even still on Earth? I didn't know. I was scared of the answer. I was also afraid that she'd gotten to our friends first, and _that_ was why our digivices—not just Daisuke's, because Jou and I both double-checked—weren't able to find them. Maybe Gaia took _them_ to another world too.

Or maybe Apocalymon was causing incredible interference.

It was a much more positive spin on things, as depressing as it was. I tried to focus on _that_ explanation. It was a distinct possibility. The chaos that Apocalymon was made up of was definitely both unstable and powerful. Diaboramon had caused enough interference to throw electronics off. Microwaves, cell phones and even store registers stopped working properly.

And Diaboramon was just a glitch. He was less powerful than Arkaidimon, less complex than Behemoth and Jezebel and all of Arnold's later creations.

Apocalymon was the be all and end all of bad guys. He was the final fight we'd have to face. He was more powerful than the great evils, because he had _created_ them. He threw them off balance, because he needed their strength. He grew stronger with each act of chaos, with each fall into darkness. The Dark Masters, the Death Knights, the Sovereign, the Sins, Dragomon, Kurayami's mother...they all added to his power, but they weren't as big of contributions as Fanglongmon, and the Devil. I was sure the virus had created enough panic and chaos to have assisted with Apocalymon's return too.

I had helped, once—twice really.

The first time I became the Digimon Kaiser, I created chaos like it was my job, and then Fanglongmon drew on the darkness that remained in my heart from the Dark Spore that had once taken over my senses. Twice I had worked for the wrong side. I fed the chaos myself, and it was awful to realize that no matter my current actions, I'd helped create Apocalymon, just as Arnold had, just as the Devil had, and I was no better than any of them in that regard.

What made me different, was that I was going to own up to my mistakes. I was going to fight _against_ the monster I created with my hatred and cruelty. I would right the wrong that I'd caused.

And if _I_ could stop the Digidestined from accessing their digivolution power when I was eleven years old, than yeah, Apocalymon was smart enough—or simply powerful enough—to block out a few digivice signals. I was just glad that he obviously wasn't taking a leaf out of my book and eliminating our false digivolutions. While most of our partners could now access champion without our assistance, champions wouldn't be enough to beat Apocalymon, no matter _how_ powerful of a team we were.

"No," Miyako said, worriedly. "This doesn't make sense."

"They said they'd wait for us," Armadillomon explained.

I looked around. We were on a sidewalk, beside a park. The park was abandoned, except for a couple holding hands as they took a late night stroll. Neither member of the couple looked familiar to me. Obviously, our friends had _not_ waited as they said they would.

"They have to be around here somewhere," Hikari said stubbornly. I could understand the fervour behind her voice. Her brother and fiancé were among those that were missing. She had every motivation to be desperately hopeful. And for her sake, I was going to be hopeful too. I'd decided it was Apocalymon that was preventing us from finding them, after all. That was hopeful of me.

Miyako stepped away from me, with Wormmon still in her arms. Hikari and Patamon wandered to the left, as if they expected the others to just jump out from behind the trees that were scattered along the park's perimeter. Jou and Daisuke were bent over their digivices, while Veemon joined the others in their search. Gomamon was tired, and hurt, but he was throwing positivity at everyone like his life depended on it.

"We can do it," he said.

"They're just one step ahead of us, waiting for us to catch up, it's no big deal," he told us with a laugh.

"We've done this twice already, it's old hat by now," he dismissed. "It's going to be a piece of cake. We'll be done by dinner. What do you think we'll get to eat? I'm famished."

"I was thinking about starting a digimon nurse program when this all blows over. There needs to be more than just me prepared to help digimon out when Jou's busy. I think we could probably talk the Fight Club's medic into joining our practice too, and maybe even Shin," he said, with such a blasé tone, as if he wasn't worried one bit about what was coming for us.

We knew he was lying, but he was really helping us relax, while we searched for our friends. We wouldn't be able to justify hanging around much longer. Yamato _was_ in danger. It would be safer for both us and him, if we waited for the others, but it was definitely better for Yamato if we didn't dally. He needed us now.

Something orange moved out of the corner of my eye. I turned to it immediately. I was hoping for something familiar, and I got it.

"Agumon!" I announced.

I moved towards him instinctively, hearing the others flocking back towards me, headed in the same direction. Hikari and Patamon—who was still nestled in her arms—were the first to catch up to me. Hikari reached out and touched my arm. I was confused, but watched Agumon.

He was far larger than I remembered him being, now that I thought about it. Agumon opened his mouth and summoned an impressive collection of fire, before he spit the swirling flames out into the sky, where they shot toward an airplane.

Miyako bumped into me from behind, gasping at the sight. Gomamon was appalled. Veemon moved closer to Agumon, wondering aloud what had gotten into our friend. "Agumon, stop it! What are you doing?"

"WAIT!" Hikari ordered. I thought for a moment she was talking to Agumon, but she wasn't. She was talking to us, pointing to a small human that was hanging from Agumon's shoulders. "That little girl..."

"Maybe he's helping her find her way home," Armadillomon said, trying to see the best in our friend, even though he was acting so oddly.

"He's not," Hikari said, convincingly. "That girl...that's _me_ , guys. That's me. I know where we are—I mean _when_ we are. This is my first interaction with digimon. This is all our first interaction with digimon. He won't hurt me. But that's also not _our_ Agumon. He's one of the digimon Gennai warned us got through the open gates."

I wanted to stay on task, but my body froze. My mind wouldn't do the math. I couldn't figure out what year it was, but it didn't matter. If Hikari was that small, that _young_ , then so was I. We were born the same year. She was three, four, maybe five years old at _most_.

Osamu didn't die until I was older.

As I stood there, watching an oversized Agumon interact with little Hikari, my brother was somewhere, living and breathing. My family wasn't broken yet. It was strange to be able to know that, to be in a world where he wasn't dead.

It sucked too, because I knew I could never do anything about it. I couldn't change the past without potentially ruining the future, and with peace at our fingertips, I couldn't be selfish and screw it up. But for that moment, when I realized he was still here, I wanted to. I wanted to find him, and tell him all the things I'd wanted to share with him over the course of my life, but couldn't, because he wasn't there. I wanted him to know how important he was to me, even though he probably wouldn't care. He never seemed to, even though I'd idolized him as a child. I missed him, all the time _still_.

"We need to find Taichi before Greymon shows up," Hikari declared. I wiped the tears from my face that I hadn't intended on shedding, and nodded towards her. Hikari purposefully led us away from her younger self, and chose a direction at random. I let her lead, not understanding what she meant about Greymon. I had no recollection of whatever important event was taking place around us, but Hikari and Jou seemed to understand, and that was good enough for me.

I wasn't in any sort of headspace to even _try_ to sort that out.

While I was in the middle of the painful process of putting Osamu out of mind, we stumbled across a store window displaying several televisions. It was bright, and originally the light was what drew my attention, but it was the news report that _held_ my attention.

"Miyako," I said, pointing. She saw what I did, and soon everyone was watching Aquilamon on TV as he battled it out against Bagramon. Iori let out a strangled sound, and was already scanning the images to find distinctive markings that would tell him _where_ they were.

"It's the harbour," Daisuke said sharply, pointing to the screen to something that didn't last. I hadn't seen whatever landmark he had, but I trusted his judgement. "He needs help. We can't leave him to fight alone."

"I need to go to him," Miyako said firmly. I put my arm around her. I was going with her. Daisuke and Veemon both offered up their services, but it was Iori that was surprising.

"I'm going," he said simply. He was still feeling the effects of Bagramon's _attention_ , and he was ghostly pale. He was terrified, and shaking, but the anger was back in his eyes. He was watching Bagramon give _attention_ to one of his friends, to Miyako's partner. He'd felt responsible for Hawkmon's near demise during the virus, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to Hawkmon now.

I was kind of proud that it wasn't just revenge that was fuelling him.

"What about Yamato?" Gomamon asked sharply.

"What about Yamato?" Hikari asked, confused. I winced, realizing we'd never really explained what happened. Jou waved me off, when I tried.

"We'll find him and the others," he promised. "Aquilamon's in just as much danger, and we actually know where he is. You save him, and we'll find Yamato. Go. _Now_!"

"Right," Daisuke said, racing off. Iori followed after, careful not to get too close to Daisuke, or to Armadillomon and Veemon, who were running with him. Miyako took Wormmon to follow suit, and I was going to follow too. But there was something I needed to do first.

"Jou," I said, reaching under my jacket and pulling out one of the guns I was carrying. I made sure the safety was still on as I handed it to him, showing him what to do, should he find need of it.

"Just in case," he said, not looking all that happy to be holding a gun. I couldn't waste any time trying to convince him that it was a good idea. I had to catch up to my wife, partner and friends. Aquilamon was in trouble. I needed to be there for my family.

 ** _Mimi Izumi:_**

"Are you sure we should have left?" Sora worried. Koushiro patted her shoulder casually, without a care in the world. He wasn't divorcing _her_. It wasn't fair. He was acting so nonchalant, and maybe I should have been too. There was a lot at stake, and I really shouldn't have been focusing any portion of my mind, not even a _tiny_ piece of it, on the words Koushiro had spoken to me.

He wanted to divorce me.

Who knew how _long_ he'd wanted to divorce me. Morganna hadn't even stolen my heart away yet when he'd said it. Unless he knew I was going to be weak enough to have my heart taken—but then strong enough to get it back all by myself, thank you very much—there was no way that my brief stint as an unwilling bad guy could have been his motivation.

And now I'd sent us all back in time, taking Gaia and Apocalymon with us. This was the worst. Sora sighed, and Koushiro let his hand drop.

"They'll find us," Taichi said firmly, wagging his digivice in the air as if Sora had forgotten about them. I wasn't very excited about leaving the others behind. We'd sworn that we'd wait for them. It wasn't fair of us to abandon the others in the past, without having any real way to contact them.

I'd tried to volunteer to stay behind, but Taichi refused to let me, which meant I had to walk behind Koushiro and _try_ to keep my mind on the important things.

Apocalymon was going to destroy everything we had ever held dear, everything we'd dedicated our lives to protecting, everything destiny demanded that we accomplish.

Also, Gaia was here possibly, probably, and so was Palmon, which was super important to keep in mind, because Palmon was my tiny ray of hope in this bleak situation, and without her, I was wallowing, falling into a pit of despair where I would flounder until Apocalymon _won_.

"You're fine," Takeru murmured, carrying on a completely separate conversation with Tentomon at my side, trusting that Hikari and Miyako and Iori would find us when they needed to. "You're not scary at all. I promise."

"Those kids seemed pretty scared," Tentomon lamented. "I was _trying_ to be fun and play, but they were terrified. I don't like that I'm scary. Why can't they see the me that's _inside_."

"I don't know buddy," Takeru said, shaking his head. "They're just kids, you know. And sometimes when kids are looking at a giant bug, they just don't know how to handle it. Kids are afraid of a lot. Don't worry about it."

"What if Haruki, Mai, Kana and Renjiro are afraid of me?" Tentomon worried, despite Takeru's words.

"Emiko's not," Takeru pointed out.

"Emiko's not a typical child," Tentomon said shrewdly. "Everyone's going to be afraid of me forever. Koushiro's future children will cry at the sight of me, and Koushiro will throw me away, in favour of his children, and I won't even be able to blame him."

Laughter ripped out of Takeru's mouth. He couldn't catch his breath, he was taken off guard by Tentomon's ridiculous statement. I was a little focussed on the part where they were just _Koushiro's_ children, not _ours_. I was feeling really down already, and was trying to put that behind me, but it wasn't working with little reminders.

"I'm glad you find my pain amusing," Tentomon said, offended.

"That's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard," Takeru said, shaking his head. "I thought you were supposed to be _grounded_ and logical. Koushiro loves you, and any kids he has will love you too. Not only because you're completely lovable, but because you'll be around them their entire life and they'll be used to you, and therefore won't know that you _could_ be scary."

"Alright then," Tentomon said, sounding rather sceptical.

"The same will be true for Haruki and the others. They'll love you, because you'll always be around. Now, don't you feel better? Those kids in the park don't know about digimon yet. I'm sure there'll be lots of kids in our time that wouldn't run screaming. Their _parents_ might, but kids are typically more accepting," Takeru said with a shrug. He turned to me, and threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me next to him. "Now, what's got _you_ down?"

"It's nothing," I said quickly, glancing at Koushiro. Takeru might've missed it, but Tentomon didn't. He was _far_ too observant for his own good—or my own good anyway.

"Uh-huh," Takeru said, sounding like he didn't believe me at all.

"What did Koushiro do now?" Tentomon asked pointedly.

"Nothing," I lied quickly. Neither believed me, of course, and both waited patiently for me to spill my guts. "I'm lovable, aren't I?"

"Easily the most lovable person ever," Takeru said quickly, before pausing. "Other than Hikari, I mean, because she's awesome—but you're awesome too, just a _different_ awesome. There was once a time, when I was a kid that I thought you might be the same kind of awesome, but I got over that. I don't mean that you got less awesome or anything, I just realized I was more interested in someone else."

"What I assume he means is that anyone would be a fool not to love you," Tentomon said, cutting Takeru off before he could embarrass himself further.

"Then why does Koushiro want a divorce?" I asked in a hushed voice. Taichi, Sora and Koushiro were still walking in front of us after all, and I didn't want Koushiro to know how much his words were affecting me. Obviously they _were_ affecting me pretty terribly, but I didn't want him to know that. I was mad at him!

"I don't know what you're talking about," Takeru said earnestly.

"He'll be enough, until we can find the others," Koushiro said fervently, breaking into our conversation unintentionally.

"But one mega isn't enough," Taichi grumbled.

"He's a super ultimate," Sora defended, "and we'll find the others, don't even _think_ that we won't."

"Mimi," Takeru said, pulling my attention away from them. He couldn't lessen my worry though. I didn't want Koushiro to hear us talking about this. "Koushiro loves you. I've seen it. He really loves you, more than his computer even. You're so important to him. I learned a lot about his feelings a while back, while we were in the Land of Dreams together. He was trying to _not_ show me anything, but I could see right through him. I can _still_ see through him. And he still loves you more than anything."

"Well, love isn't enough, apparently," I said with a scowl, though I was kind of pleased to hear that Koushiro apparently still loved me. I wondered whether I'd done something wrong, or if _he_ had. I decided he must've, because I knew I hadn't.

I was trying to come up with a way to change the subject—like maybe turning it towards the certain doom that was gathering strength and forming into Apocalymon in the distance. The lightning and stormy clouds were really a sight to see, but the larger they got showed us how close Apocalymon was to completing his body. He would be able to wreak havoc on the past, and it was all my fault. But I was brought to a halt before I could say anything. There was more than just thunder on the horizon. Another sound was brought to my attention.

"Is that howling?" I murmured.

"I didn't hear anything," Takeru said, shaking his head.

"Must be the nerves," I said with an awkward laugh. I didn't believe that of course, because I was so sure I had heard something that sounded vaguely like a howl. I didn't want to insist that I was right though, because I was already convincing myself that _I_ was in the right in my relationship with Koushiro. I knew one of us had done wrong and I simply wouldn't accept that it was me. If I kept insisting I was right, I was scared that I might create an altered reality in my head where I could never do wrong, but I knew that wasn't true. So instead I wrapped my arms around myself, and continued following Taichi, Koushiro and Sora. They were over the fact that we only had one digimon to help us in our quest. We'd find the others. Hikari, Miyako and Iori would bring us help, whenever they managed to catch up to us.

The air was getting colder—though that might've just been me, as I was practically shaking with fear—and the wind was crashing against us, as though Apocalymon was trying to keep us away, so that we couldn't prevent his grand return. But I heard the sound again. It was louder this time, more chilling than even the air or my fear.

"I'm going to check it out," Sora shouted over the wind. I moved to follow her, but Koushiro caught my hand.

"We shouldn't split up any further," he argued looking between Sora and I. "Tentomon can't protect us all unless we're in one place."

"We'll be fine," Sora said, with a rueful look. "We're just scouting. We won't be fighting. We'll be right back. Give us like twenty minutes, and we'll be back. We've got digivices. Don't be such a worrywart."

Koushiro let go of me then, partially because I was glaring at him. How _dare_ he try to control my actions in order to protect me? I was a stubborn woman, and he didn't even want to be married to me anymore, so I didn't even feel like finding a compromise. I just turned around and raced off after Sora, who had exchanged quick words with Taichi—words that I could not hear over the wind.

The howling came roaring on the wind again, and we picked up our pace. There was only one wolf that we knew was prowling around the streets. It _had_ to be Garurumon. I was so excited to see him. I wanted to find another one of our friends. I was tired of worrying about everyone. I just wanted us all to be safe.

Once again we heard the howl fly through the wind. There was something a little off about it. It was higher in pitch than usual, and my heart pounded in my chest. He must've been hurt! I pushed myself further, and very nearly overtook Sora—but she was far more athletic than I was, and it was pretty much impossible. She was also very worried about Garurumon.

We whirled around the corner, and slammed against a woman. I was thrown off of my feet, feeling my ankle bend under me in a way that it wasn't meant to go. I screamed in pain as I fell to the concrete. The rough surface dug into my skin, leaving a large gash along my leg, and pebbles imbedded in my palms. Of course that would happen _now_. Why not hurt Mimi when she's already tormented emotionally and mentally? But Sora was shouting too, and that worried me. She was tougher than me.

The woman we'd crashed into wasn't just an innocent bystander. It was Yorokobi Fujimoto. I hadn't realized we'd brought her back with us. I hadn't meant to. I didn't even realize she was anywhere near us. I hadn't seen her.

But I didn't have time to lament over my mistakes. Yorokobi had Sora slammed against the stone wall of the alley we'd come through. We were coming up to the river. I knew where we were, but I didn't exactly spend a lot of time wandering through alleyways. It wasn't a good habit, considering how many people wanted to kill us all the time.

Yorokobi was being added to that list.

"Sora!" I called, trying to get to my feet. My foot was still at a bad angle though, and it felt like sharp knives were being stabbed down to my bone, and stars danced in my vision. I managed to get onto _one_ foot, but I couldn't exactly race to Sora's rescue effectively.

That fact didn't stop me from trying.

"Leave her alone!" I yelled at Yorokobi, moving slowly in her direction. She swatted out at me. It was only when the sharp, burning started in my arm that I realized it wasn't just her hand she was waving around. She had a knife, and she wasn't afraid to use it.

"Get back," Yorokobi snarled, "this is between me and _her_."

"What did she ever do to you?" I demanded, lunging, despite the pain in my ankle, running on pure adrenaline. My attempts to steal back the knife were for naught, because she sliced into my shoulder, and I crashed to the ground in a heap of pain and misery.

She caught Sora around the neck, and held the blade against Sora's stomach. She didn't want to kill Sora swiftly. She wanted my friend to suffer. I didn't understand why though. What had _Sora_ ever done to hurt Yorokobi?

"I'm sorry," Sora said, sounding decidedly _not_ sorry in the slightest, which I thought was probably a bad move when someone had a knife to her stomach, intending to cut her open and let her bleed out. "I didn't do anything to you!"

"Wrong," Yorokobi said. "I'm nothing now. I'm dirt on the bottom of people's shoes. There was a time that the name Yorokobi Fujimoto opened any door. I was _somebody_. I was important. Everyone wanted me. But you and that Digital Man of yours ruined everything. I had a plan! I was going to rule this country, and now that dream has been ripped away from me. You've destroyed everything, you've destroyed _me_ , and now I must return the favour."

"That wasn't me!" Sora insisted. "Yamato and I weren't the ones that smeared your name. Our campaign was about love and acceptance, not putting others down. I never hurt you. _Neo_ did all that. He wanted to rule, and he doesn't let anything stand in his way."

"Neo would _never_ hurt me," Yorokobi said, sounding desperate to believe that. I knew, of course, that he'd turned her down in a spectacular fashion. It was painful to see her cling to even the remotest of chances that _someone_ wasn't against her. "This was Yamato Ishida! He's a menace, and he needs to be stopped. Gaia chose to take that task for herself, but I _will_ have revenge! I'll take it out on _you_ , his Angel in the Sky!"

"Why does everyone like that one so much?" Sora growled, trying to subtly move the knife away from her, so that she could get away—or disarm Yorokobi. But Yorokobi caught on quickly.

"You think the Digital Man can save you?" Yorokobi said cruelly, laughing with the purest of enjoyment, despite the twisted actions she was exhibiting. "He can't. He's probably dead already. Gaia doesn't like to take risks. My queen is far too powerful for a stupid human man to stand a chance. Are you ready to join your love in hell?"

"He's alive," Sora said fervently, her eyes glowing with a fierce loyalty. Yorokobi wasn't distracted the way I was though. She brought her knee up into Sora's stomach, accidentally slicing Sora's hip with her knife in the process. Sora didn't fall fast enough for Yorokobi's liking, and got a second hit from her knee to make up for it. Yorokobi kicked Sora when she went down, once, twice, three times. I couldn't keep up with the blows. I screamed as loud as I could, hoping there was a good Samaritan somewhere that could call the authorities.

I knew we couldn't afford to have the police apprehend Yorokobi, because she was from the future, same as we were, and she needed to get back there, but I wanted desperately to have her moved away from Sora. I crawled towards her, catching her foot, and getting stomped in the chest as a result.

Yorokobi sat on Sora's chest, and Sora fought with all her power to get her away, but Yorokobi was wielding a knife dangerously close to Sora's neck, and so Sora needed to be careful, or else she'd just _help_ Yorokobi kill her.

It wasn't fair.

Why couldn't anything be easy for us?

I tried once more to stop her, but my chest was aching, there were metaphorical knives stabbing into my entire leg, as the pain from my ankle ate away at the adrenaline that was coursing through my veins. Blood was all over me, from the gash the concrete had left during our unfortunate introduction. Tears poured down my face as I screamed, continuously for help. Anyone could help us. The knife was stabbing into Sora's arm, Yorokobi was smiling, and talking loudly over the wind.

"We'll have to make sure the Digital Man can recognize you," she said viciously. "There won't be much left when I'm done, but I can make sure he knows you're the Angel in the Sky. A label would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"Stop it!" Sora shouted. Pain laced her voice, and she was trying to get rid of Yorokobi with her legs, while she grabbed the knife handle with her free arm. She was going down fighting, and I was going to keep fighting alongside her, even though fighting was my _least_ favourite thing to do.

I tangled my bloodstained fingers in Yorokobi's hair, and pulled back sharply, remembering when I'd fought Mari, and longing for the past. Mari wasn't trying to kill my friend when we'd fought. Mari wasn't even really trying to win the fight. She just needed to do _something_ so that Neo wouldn't think she was shirking her duties. Yorokobi wasn't pulling her punches. She swung the knife behind her, catching me in the arm again. I shrieked, trying to catch it, but it was too late, She's already swung it back towards Sora, putting it close to her face. I wasn't sure if it had already broken the skin or not. Sora wasn't screaming, but I wasn't sure what that meant.

She might just be trying to not give Yorokobi the satisfaction of hearing her pain.

Vines wrapped around my waist and pulled me backwards. I screamed and thrashed, not wanting to die at Gaia's hands, and fearing what I'd find when I looked at her. Would she carry Yamato's body as a trophy in order to make us lose hope? It sounded like the twisted type of thing she might do. I kicked, screaming in fear and pain, as my almost certainly broken ankle wobbled during the motions.

"Pepper Breath!"

My heart hammered. Agumon was here. He would save us. But then logic caught up to me, and I realized that wouldn't work. Not if Gaia had me. He could beat Yorokobi, but without Taichi, he couldn't even _hope_ to beat Gaia.

"Mimi, you're safe," Palmon called, as the vines pulled me against her chest. I watched as the Pepper Breath slammed into Yorokobi's back. She snarled in pain and anger, and turned to see Agumon. Sora gathered enough strength to shove Hideto's sister off of her, and scrambled in order to back away.

Palmon removed her vines from me, and sent them at Yorokobi, wrapping the woman tightly in her hold. "Poison Ivy!" Palmon walked up to Yorokobi and glared at her, forcing the human to meet her eye.

"You can't blame others for your own failures," Palmon told her, anger barely concealed in her voice. "You have to take responsibility, or else you're just burying yourself under excuses. You're letting the hatred and fear get you down. You can't rise from the pain if you don't accept it, and accept what _you_ did wrong. _Everyone_ has faults. What makes a good person isn't a lack of faults, or a collection of fake qualities. A good person is someone that knows when they've made mistakes, and learns from them. You can do that, Yorokobi. You can follow Puraido out of the hole your parents dug for you. Hideto led the way, and Puraido followed. You can do it too. I know you can. No person is inherently bad. There's good in you, if you can just find it. Learn from what you've done here. _Please_. You don't need to follow Gaia. There are other options. There are always options for those that are willing to look for them."

"You're a waste of space," Yorokobi snarled. Her eye was twitching, and she was jolting every once in a while. Her mind was overloaded. It was impossible for her to rid herself of Gaia's conditioning, of her _parents'_ conditioning. "I should've killed you when I had the chance. You made a fool out of me, leading me on a wild goose chase across that godforsaken world of yours! You began my downfall. You made a mockery out of me among the EVOLVE elite!"

"Yorokobi," Palmon said sternly, "you made a mockery of yourself. You don't need to be like this. Learn from your mistakes. You're a terrible villain. Learn to be _good_ instead. By being good, people will forgive your faults, and you'll make strides in repairing your reputation. You can recover from this. I _know_ you can. Anyone can do it, with enough support. I'll support you myself if that's what it takes. Gomamon's helping Puraido."

"I wouldn't accept the help of a common earthworm, why would I let something worth _less_ help me in any way?" Yorokobi sneered, spitting in Palmon's face. Agumon let out a sound of protest, and started to stomp over to the pair, completely missing the flash of anger that passed over Palmon's features, as she reared her head back and let out a menacing tone.

"You're spitting at me?" she said slowly. "Let's see how _you_ like it. Stinking Attack!" Palmon breathed deeply, and let out a toxic cloud of fumes that left Yorokobi choking for air. Agumon, still upset about Yorokobi's mistreatment of Palmon, and clearly not paying attention to Palmon's own form of revenge, reared his head back, and let out another Pepper Breath.

"Agumon, no!" I cried, but it was too late. The flames got near the fumes, and lit up on fire. Her hair was a mess of flames, and Palmon threw Yorokobi away from her, afraid of the heat the fire gave off. Yorokobi arched through the air, and rolled down the riverbank when she landed ungracefully. She rolled right into the water, where the flames were thankfully extinguished.

But she didn't resurface.

"No!" I screamed. I got to my feet, growling in pain as the knives attacking my ankle decided to become red hot pokers, rather than simple blades. But I pushed through the pain that was impossible to ignore, choosing to focus more on the pain than the laughing that Palmon and Agumon were doing as they exchanged a high five.

Sora was scolding them, and I fell to my knees along the bank of the river, carefully lowering myself into the water, screaming when a hand latched around my injured ankle. I reached down into the water, and the fingers left my ankle in favour of my hand, and I pulled Yorokobi out of the water. She was shaking, terrified, and insane. But she was coughing water from her lungs.

She was okay. Sora was okay. I _would_ be, after Jou looked at my ankle and told me what to do about it.

But we didn't know about Yamato. And we didn't know about Garurumon. Yorokobi was a poor imitator, and our friend was out there too. I hoped he was finding Yamato. We'd need his help to make sure Yamato was found—or avenged. Unlike with Yorokobi, Palmon wouldn't be able to find anything even remotely redeemable about Gaia.

I hated fighting, but I knew we still had a lot in store for us. One look at the looming, dark, angry clouds was enough to assure me that time was running short. Apocalymon was on his way, and I needed to push through the pain and face him. I was done with all of this fighting, and the only way I could get out of it, was if we finished him off, once and for all.

 **Next on Digimon Adventure 09:** Next up is a bit of a flashback section as TK and Cody lead us straight into the final battle with a little less than the normal amount of grace.


	3. Wake Me Up

**Y/N:** It was difficult to write Iori's chapter this time around. He's still not in a great place, after what happened in the last story, and so he wasn't his typical self when I was narrating. I wanted him to be back to what he was, but it was both unrealistic and illogical. He probably would never be the exact same again, so there was no point in writing him that way...

 **U/N:** I know there was some attempted humour in Takeru's chapter to try to lighten the mood of the literal apocalypse sort of deal. I hope that came out well. I know this whole time travel thing looks and seems like a waste of time and even like a bit of a pointless plot loop, but in the grand scheme of things everything that goes on here is important, it just might not seem that way necessarily. Anyway, hope you enjoy the final TK chapter!

 **Title: Digimon Adventure 09: Free**

 **By: YukiraKing and UrazamayKing**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Digimon or its characters.**

 **Tri-pocalypse**

 **Chapter 03: Wake Me Up**

 ** _Iori Hida:_**

I was behind everyone else. It shouldn't have bothered me nearly as much as it did. I couldn't even fool myself into believing that I was guarding the rear. I wasn't. I was just slower than everyone else. My muscles ached, making me wish I hadn't come along. But my pain was irrelevant. I was meant to be doing this. It didn't matter how much muscle mass I'd lost under Bagramon's ministrations. It didn't matter that my head was spinning with the effort I was putting forth. I hadn't been nearly this active in a long time. It felt like forever, but I knew _that_ wasn't true.

Miyako had saved me. She'd released me from that prison. I was free, but I hadn't been free long enough in order to feel comfortable doing what we were doing. We were racing back towards the digimon I hated more than any other. The only digimon I _feared_.

I'd been intimidated before. I wasn't going to dismiss our older foes entirely, but even Gaia hadn't made me feel the deeply intense, concentrated fear that Bagramon had managed to pull out from within me. I hated him for it. I hated myself for being weak enough to fall for his tricks. He wanted me to fear him. He wanted my secrets, but I wouldn't tell him any. I would _never_ give in to him, no matter how powerful the fear became.

Not that I thought he would stop his onslaught against Aquilamon in order to interrogate me again. Gaia didn't really need me, or any information I had. She had the upper hand—for the moment. We could not defeat her. She was immortal, in a sense. We had to ignore her for the time being, and since she was in the past with us, I was able to force her from my mind far easier than I might've had she been left behind.

I didn't know how time travel worked. I could admit that much. It wasn't a blow to my ego. I simply didn't understand the logistics of it. We were in the past now. That much was easy to comprehend. My grasp on the situation got a little foggy when it came to the return trip. Would we be able to make it back? I hoped we would. I wanted to be able to end this once and for all. I was done with this fight. I needed time to myself. I needed time with my family. I wanted to recover from this. I needed time to do that. But first I needed to make the world safe for Kana, at the cost of my own life if need be. She _would_ be safe.

But would she still be an infant when we returned? Would she still need me or even know me when we got back? I wasn't sure if our present was frozen while we were in the past, or was time continuing the same as it was for us?

Maybe _years_ were passing while we weren't there.

I'd never time traveled before, so I couldn't answer my questions, and I was far too winded to ask them aloud. My heart was trying to break free of my ribs, and my legs had turned to battered jelly. I was running on pure hatred and the desire to free the world from Bagramon's presence. If I could accomplish even _that_ , then I could pass out and let destiny run its course.

But I couldn't give up until Bagramon was dealt with.

My foot slid under me, as I stepped on a loose rock in the sidewalk. I stumbled, but managed to keep upright. Armadillomon unrolled himself from the ball he'd become, in order to keep up with our companions. I waved my hand at him, telling him to dismiss me without having to resort to words. I wasn't able to form any. I could barely force breath into my lungs. I felt like my lungs had become pin cushions. It was painful to breathe. Armadillomon looked worried, but his fear of Hawkmon's potential fate won over, and he started rolling along, trying to catch up to Miyako at least, who was the closest to us, of the others. She was half a block ahead of me, and the distance was slowly growing larger.

Wormmon was calling encouragements out to me from over Miyako's shoulder. "You can do it!" he said often. "It's not much further, Iori!" he would add. "Way to go!" he shouted. It was all very humiliating. I wasn't a child in his first track meet. I was a grown man, and it _wasn't_ impressive for me to be running so far behind. My body was betraying me. I was extremely active. I never missed a day of Kendo. I never passed over the idea of a run in the morning. I hit the gym twice a week just for added benefits, and took up boxing after my stay in the Dark Ocean, after I'd learned I enjoyed punching things—a _lot_. I was not supposed to be out of shape. I felt more shame with each of Wormmon's 'encouraging' words, than I did anything else.

But again, I had no breath to spare on words, so I couldn't tell him to shut up. He was trying to be helpful anyway, and I didn't want to discourage him.

Daisuke and Ken were fighting for the lead. They were running so quickly, they were often long gone by the time I'd turn a corner to follow after them. Veemon was behind them. I could usually catch a glimpse of his tail before he left me in the dust as well.

I just wasn't strong enough. I hadn't taken Jou seriously enough when he was trying to ensure my recovery. I was too stubborn to rest while the world was in danger. I really wished I'd taken the time to get at least a _nap_ , if not a night's rest. Instead I'd allowed the screaming baby digimon keep me awake, which just added insult to injury.

I forced myself to stop feeling self pity. It wasn't productive, and in fact only made me run _worse_. There would be time for that later, if I allowed it. I made my mind a blank canvas. The only interruptions were the sound and feeling of each individual step I took, and the sight of Miyako's back as she led me forwards towards our goal. With each breath I took, I forced myself to keep a straight face through the pain. If I didn't acknowledge the pain, then it couldn't slow me down.

It was dangerous thinking, but it worked. I was able to pick up my pace. I never caught Miyako, before she stopped running, but I'd managed to lessen the distance between us by half, at least. My legs protested loudly when I stopped running at Miyako's side, nearly tripping over my own partner in the process. Daisuke was on my other side, with Veemon by him. Ken was on the other side of Miyako.

"What's the plan?" Veemon wanted to know. He wasn't looking for a genius ploy that would get us in and out in ten minutes. He didn't need something complex. He wanted something simple and effective—but most importantly _fast_. He, like everyone else, was staring at something in the distance. I could hear the fighting. I heard Aquilamon's shouts, as he attacked Bagramon. My skin crawled with revulsion and fear at the sound of Bagramon's voice.

It wasn't lessening the fear to _not_ look at him, and so I forced my eyes to search out the fight. Aquilamon was flying above Bagramon, readying an attack. But Bagramon wasn't above fighting dirty. He lunged, not at Aquilamon, but towards a cameraman. It was the man that was filming what we'd spotted on the television. He was the reason we knew Aquilamon needed us.

Aquilamon dove out of the sky and got between Bagramon's large arm, made of Yggdrasil, and therefore just as indestructible and powerful. Aquilamon let out a pained scream.

"Get out of here!" Aquilamon ordered to the man, his voice deep as he struggled to form actual sentences through the pain he was feeling. The cameraman didn't move. His face was determined. He was going to film this battle for whatever news station he was working for. Maybe he was hoping to get a promotion. I didn't know _what_ was going through his mind. But I knew what Aquilamon was thinking. He growled, and used one of his horns to slam into the camera, destroying the only thing keeping the man in harm's way.

"They'll take that out of my pay check!" the man protested, furious. It was nice to see that there was a human, even in the past, that wasn't afraid of digimon. I just wished he'd be a little more afraid. He really ought to have been.

Bagramon swung his non-Yggdrasil arm and knocked the human off his feet. The cameraman found the healthy dose of fear he needed, and started to crawl away. Aquilamon was in pain and struggling on his feet, trying to summon enough energy for an attack. He was weak though. He needed Miyako to help him become stronger. Bagramon wasn't going down without a fight. It would take a lot of firepower to take him down.

"Digivolve and attack," Ken said, deciding on the necessary plan. It was far more simplistic than just about any other plan I'd ever heard, but it was enough. Veemon and Wormmon digivolved first, as they moved towards the battle. Seamlessly, they became ExVeemon and Stingmon, and then AeroVeedramon and JewelBeemon, before becoming the strongest selves they could be. GrandisKuwagamon had his sword ready, and swung it down upon Bagramon, sending whatever audience had gathered to watch scattering. They were too afraid to stay and watch once more than _two_ digimon were fighting. There were too many monsters for them to comprehend.

"I've been thinking," Daisuke said, as UlforceVeedramon sliced at Bagramon with his own blade of energy. "GrandisKuwagamon used to be GranKuwagamon, didn't he?"

"He changed when TyrantKabuterimon did," Ken said, agreeing.

"And UlforceVeedramon changed once before, when everyone lent him their energy," Daisuke said. "Does that mean we have super ultimates too?"

"I don't know," Ken said.

"Probably," I said simply. Miyako wasn't beside us anymore. She was racing down the street, right into the battle. Aquilamon was her target. GrandisKuwagamon and UlforceVeedramon were keeping Bagramon busy, so he didn't have a chance to attack her, but it was still terrifying to watch. Armadillomon rolled into a ball again and raced forward to catch up with her. My hand twitched. My heart was pounding loud enough that I could _hear_ it, and my hands were shaking from the shock of stopping after an exhausting run. But despite my body's protest, I wanted to run after him.

"Try it," Ken suggested. "See if you can get UlforceVeedramon to digivolve."

"Your digivice isn't glowing," Daisuke pointed out. "How am I supposed to tell if it works? Everyone else's digivices glow like freaking lighthouses."

"That's because the glitch allows for them to reach their super ultimate level," I said, forcing the words out of my mouth. I needed to keep focused, or else I would lose the fight against my body. "Veemon was gifted the strength from the other digimon, Wormmon..."

"I think he just followed instructions," Ken said wryly. "He just copied Tentomon's actions."

"There you go," I said. "They follow different rules."

" **Aquilamon digivolve to... Silphymon!** "

"I wish Miyako wasn't out there," Ken said, holding his hand to his waist. I wasn't unobservant. I knew that he had a gun hidden on his person. No one just patted their waist for comfort. The gun would be useless against Bagramon though. He was far too powerful for that. Even Astamon had been able to take a bullet to the eye and survive.

"Bagramon!" Armadillomon cried. "Why are you doing this?"

"It's what was asked of me," Bagramon replied, effectively knocking GrandisKuwagamon into the harbour. Water splashed everywhere, and our insect friend floundered in the water, trying to get enough movement going to keep him afloat. He wasn't having much success.

Bagramon started moving towards Armadillomon, who stubbornly wouldn't digivolve, despite my silent efforts to simply _will_ it to happen. UlforceVeedramon wasn't going to let Armadillomon get hurt, which I appreciated. UlforceVeedramon swung his energy blade once more, and Bagramon blocked it with his Yggdrasil arm, before swatting UlforceVeedramon out of the way. UlforceVeedramon rolled across the pavement, slamming into the cameraman's van, which had been left behind in his hasty leave. The van was crushed, but UlforceVeedramon got to his feet with ease. He looked towards Daisuke, who nodded, and clutched his digivice, closed his eyes and hoped for the best.

"Maugrim wouldn't want this!" Armadillomon tried.

"He's the one who ordered it," Bagramon snarled in response.

"He didn't have free will," Armadillomon said, desperately. "He didn't _want_ to fight for Gaia. His free will was taken from him, but yours doesn't need to be. You have the right to make your own choices. Your decisions define you. What other people do or say can affect you, but you don't have to let them control you. Gaia is a monster. The remains of her heart are literally the epitome of chaos and destruction. Apocalymon is rising, and with his increase in power, Gaia's chances of defeat become slimmer. We can't let her win. Don't let her win. Fight against her!"

"And fight for _you_?" Bagramon said, with a cruel laugh. "I know what happened. Gaia was on Earth when I felt Graul die, but _your_ friends weren't. They killed him, and you would have me join you? No. Gaia is not wrong. The world would be best without you to plague it."

"You've done a lot of terrible things, but there _has_ to be something good in you. You were a candidate for the Olympos XII. You were training with them. You wanted to take your place as one of them. They are good and just. They fight for the survival of the worlds. They fight _against_ Gaia. Your morals could not have fallen so far," Armadillomon said, shaking his head. "I can't believe that."

"Haven't they?" Bagramon drawled, winding up his Yggdrasil arm and slamming his oversized hand into my small partner. My feet were moving before I had the chance to even think of it. I raced towards Armadillomon, knowing I could never get there fast enough. Bagramon's hand struck Armadillomon, and Armadillomon was raised into the air. He flew over my head, but my momentum was too strong. I tried to stop myself and turn around, but I tripped over my own feet, and crashed to the ground.

"Iori!" Miyako yelled. UlforceVeedramon was radiating power and his cape became wings, as he glowed white, digivolving without sound. He was too focused to announce his new name.

"You," Bagramon snarled, looking at Miayko. He stepped towards her, but paused, and turned back towards me instead. "You saved him once, can you do it again?"

"You bet I can," Miyako shouted, confidently. "Silphymon, go!"

" **Silphymon digivolve to... Valkyrimon!** "

Valkyrimon shot and arrow into Bagramon's side, embedding it there. Bagramon walked on, regardless. He was coming towards me. And I couldn't move. All I could see was the walls of that room. I was back in prison. Logically, I _knew_ I couldn't be there. There was moonlight pouring down on us from the sky. The sound of water filled the air as GrandisKuwagamon splashed around, moving himself towards the docks so that he could pull himself out, since his wet wings wouldn't work properly. But logic didn't mean anything. I was trapped. I couldn't move my limbs. They were tied to the chair. I couldn't move them, because he wouldn't let me. I was afraid, but I kept my mouth shut. He wouldn't get anything out of me. No matter how much pain he inflicted, I would keep our secrets. I wouldn't let him win. He couldn't win.

"Don't hurt him!" Armadillomon pleaded. He was running with Daisuke and Ken, behind me. I wanted to tell them to run away. They didn't need to be hurt too. They were likely to tell the secrets if they watched. It was harder to watch pain than to endure it. "Don't hurt him. He never did anything to you. Iori's a good person. There's no reason to hurt him at all."

"His 'goodness' is reason enough," Bagramon said. He prepared himself to attack me, but UlforceVeedramon beat him to the punch—literally. He punched Bagramon, before using his sword.

"Ulforce V Saber!" UlforceVeedramon called. His sword was curved now, but made from the same blue energy as before. It did nothing against his Yggdrasil arm. It made a horrid, screeching sound as it scrapped along the white surface. Bagramon was distracted enough to fight against UlforceVeedramon's super ultimate form, whose name I hoped to learn in the future—if we lived that long.

Bagramon was too powerful for a single super ultimate. UlforceVeedramon was not faring well. He put as much effort into the fight as he possibly could, but it wasn't enough. For each blast UlforceVeedramon sent Bagramon's way, Bagramon retaliated with a swipe of his Yggdrasil arm. UlforceVeedramon was limping, already, but wouldn't back down. He needed to keep fighting.

Knowing he was fighting so hard so that I could get to safety, I tried to move and not just because Bagramon needed to be defeated, but I couldn't. Bagramon was still so close. Valkyrimon shot arrow after arrow into the fray, and Armadillomon digivolved to Ankylomon, and stood between Bagramon and I, acting as a shield.

Two sets of arms grabbed my arms and I flinched away from the touch. I let out a startled— _scared_ —yelp, and tried to get away, but the hands wouldn't let go. Miyako stood in front of me, glaring at Daisuke and Ken.

"Let him go," she demanded. She reached forward as if to touch my face, but stopped before there was any actual contact. "Let him go," she repeated, and they finally followed her instructions. I tried to calm my breathing, realizing logically again that this wasn't time for a panic attack, but logic didn't mean anything to me anymore.

My lungs were constricting, and my vision was blurring. I was fragile, I was breakable, and that fact wasn't helping me pull myself together. I wasn't strong anymore. I wasn't a warrior, or a Forgiving Knight, like Summer expected me to be. And I couldn't even _breathe_.

"Breathe _with_ me," Miyako murmured.

"What's wrong with him?" Daisuke asked, afraid.

"Just help GrandisKuwagamon," Miyako told him. "I'll help Iori."

"Come on, Iori," Ken murmured. "We need you. We believe in you."

"Go," Miyako said, tenderly. "Listen to me. Don't watch the fight. UlforceVeedramon is winning as far as you're concerned. GrandisKuwagamon will join the fray soon. Valkyrimon is kicking serious butt. Now, breathe in with me—one, two, three, four, five—good. Now hold it, two, three, four, five, okay, that's good, now exhale. Good. That's great. Okay, keep breathing. Follow my lead."

With Miyako's undivided attention, and steady voice I was almost able to believe the lie she had constructed. But Ankylomon wasn't big enough to block the actual fight entirely. UlforceVeedramon kept getting thrown against walls, and once into a boat, which started sinking, with the damage caused. But every time my eyes drifted towards the fight, Miyako would move so that she was in the way. She had an unnerving steadiness to her that was very unlike her. She was usually the one panicking.

I realized that was why she was actually able to bring me back to reality, instead of the prison that I'd constructed within my own mind. My breathing wasn't steady, or normal, but my head was cleared. Miyako wanted to hug me, but stopped herself. I could see her thoughts on her face. She got to her feet, and floundered, wanting to offer me a hand, but I winced away, before she could even decide not to offer one.

"You know, I think Ankylomon wants to join the fight," Miyako said. As she said it, UlforceVeedramon flew over our heads and slammed into a building. Veemon was the one that landed on the ground though. Miyako screamed, and ran to him. Daisuke let out a few curses, directed at Bagramon. GrandisKuwagamon was almost out of the water. His wings were buzzing in the air, flinging water everywhere. Once he was free from the water, and his wings were dried, he flew into the battle, taking UlforceVeedramon's place as the token super ultimate.

But we'd already learned one wasn't enough.

Daisuke raced towards Miyako and Veemon, and Ankylomon rushed into the battle, glowing as he ran. I winced, ready to see the small pink warrior he became when he was an ultimate—the one we were both irrationally embarrassed by, despite our friend Piximon's incredible strength and skill—and was shocked to find that he wasn't small at all.

" **Ankylomon digivolve to... Shakkoumon!** "

It was a familiar face. A giant clay figure that shone silver with pure white wings. He had intricate designs on his torso, and was once the fusion of Angemon and Ankylomon, just as Silphymon had once been Aquilamon and Gatomon. He was fragile, just like me. Once again, my emotions had screwed with my partner's transformations—though something seemed _right_ about Shakkoumon, that had never seemed perfect about Piximon.

"He's changed," Ken said, as he came to stop next to me, purposefully putting his hands in his pockets just to keep me calm. "Just like you. He's strong, despite his fragile nature."

"I'm not strong," I protested immediately. "He might be. But I'm not. Not anymore."

"I think his digivolution is trying to tell you something," he said wisely. He looked to see that Miyako was coming back, and pulled a hand out of his pocket to offer to her. She took it, and smiled up at Shakkoumon.

"It's good to see him again," she said. She didn't elaborate, which I appreciated. I was worried that Shakkoumon's clay figure would make him shatter into a million pieces when Bagramon hit him. I was afraid. I was fragile. And Bagramon was winning. I wanted to have faith that he could be beaten, but he'd taken out UlforceVeedramon, and a clay bodied giant wasn't going to make much difference.

And then GrandisKuwagamon started glowing, when Bagramon used his claws to break through GrandisKuwgamon's armour, and simultaneously shattered Ken and Miyako's hopes of winning, as Wormmon fell to the ground.

 ** _Takeru Takaishi:_**

"I'm just so sure I heard them screaming," Tentomon insisted, quickening his pace even further. His wings were working overdrive to get him to zoom through the streets, and hopefully we would find the others like he was expecting, but if he _had_ heard them screaming, he certainly didn't anymore. So, how exactly did he know where we were going?

I trusted Tentomon honestly, mostly because he'd never given me a reason not to. Surely he knew where he was going, and besides, even if Mimi and the others hadn't screamed, it was a terrible idea to let them run off on their own anyway. We had already been split apart inadvertently when our partners scattered themselves throughout the neighbourhood, and then when more than half of us ran off, for some reason. We were already separated enough. We needed to instead work on bringing ourselves together as a team.

Surely we knew by now that standing separately wasn't the way to fight a war.

It kind of sucked that we _had_ to know how to fight a war. Then again, this wasn't a normal war because there were no appointed generals or even a leader. It was simply a massive army of those we held close to our hearts and together we were fighting for what we believed in, and thankfully, there were others around the world doing the same.

Koushiro was rushing along behind Tentomon who was still in the lead, and he was just as desperate as his partner was to find the others. I felt the same rush of urgency of course, because Sora and Mimi were my friends, but Koushiro was _married_ to Mimi and was obviously still in love with her despite what Mimi had convinced herself. I didn't know what was going on behind the divorce, but it had nothing to do with love and lack thereof.

Taichi was here too, pressing forward, keeping his eyes locked on Tentomon as if he were afraid he would soon fall behind. I didn't think Tentomon could outrun Taichi, but he wasn't willing to take any chances.

And so we ran down memory lane—which was what I had dubbed every street in this time, since we weren't sure what time we were in, but everything looked familiar like a faded and mostly forgotten dream—after the flying bug digimon who was desperate to find our missing friends.

"What do you think Gennai's doing?" Taichi asked in a voice that was surprisingly steady even after all of our running.

I thought about my answer for a moment and shrugged. "Who knows?" I said, a little embarrassed by how breathy my own voice was comparatively. "He's busy turning our digimon into—well, our digimon."

"Isn't that weird?" Taichi asked. I nodded, because there was really no better way to word it. "We never really needed to know—or even asked—where our partners had come from, but now that we know it all kind of makes sense, doesn't it?"

"It makes sense that they were fighting this war for longer than we were, if that's what you mean," I agreed. "They were the original heroes and yet here they are, still fighting the war. The peace they've been searching for, like, a million years for is almost here."

"You sound confident that we'll win," Taichi grinned.

I took a deep breath and then laughed, "Is that surprising?"

Taichi shook his head sharply. "No, not exactly," he was still smiling. "Besides, you're right." He didn't sound exactly sure somehow. "We'll win." And that set any sceptical thoughts that buzzed around in my head at ease. It was one thing to be optimistic about a situation, but to have _Taichi_ on my side definitely proved that we had a really solid chance to win.

Even if there was still one single thread in my mind that reminded me of our friends we didn't have on our side. Willis, Michael, Kurayami, Neo, Hideto, Mari, Kiyoko and Ryo—and even Alice in a weird way—were all back in our true time. Ten of our digimon companions were, well they weren't gone, but they certainly weren't _here_ either. Our team had been cut in _half_ and I was scared because we hadn't been fighting with just the twelve of us since... well, ever. Even while fighting MaloMyotismon we had the help of all the Chosen Children from across the world. Like Michael, Catherine and Mina and Noriko—

So we _could_ die. We could lose if it came to it. We knew that because we had always suspected there was a force keeping us Digidestined alive, but that wasn't the case. Well, in a way, Autumn had done her best, saving both Willis and Hikari by sending visions to others. She also saved Hideto, Mari and Kiyoko and probably Kurayami—but the reality was, we could all die at any moment. Death was a possibility.

We should have already known that after witnessing as many deaths as we had. Patamon. Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon. Wizardmon. Autumn. Piximon, Whamon and Chuumon. The Numemon. Leomon. Wormmon. Oikawa. The Crest digimon. Betamon. Gennai. Chikara. Patamon and Agumon. Sora. Lalamon. Kanashimi. Yggdrasil. Divermon and Etemon. Chicchimon. YukimiBotamon. Yanmamon. Satoshi. Noriko, Jackie, and D'arcmon. Moretsuna. Behemoth. DemiDevimon. Alphamon, Craniamon, Kentaurosmon, and Dynasmon. MetallifeKuwagamon. Winter. Maugrim, Harmonia, Aesop and Theta.

Not to mention all of the people who died before all of this started. Asami, Hiroki, Kandosuru and Kayo Izumi, Koushiro's parents, Keith McCoy, Osamu and Yukai. Then of course there was Alice as well, the proof that us Digidestined truly could die.

I had to keep that thought buried underneath the positive ones because I just wasn't willing to look at a pessimistic point of view any longer than I had to. I was determined to wear a smile through the rest of this war even if it wasn't genuine. I had to make sure that the others saw my hope and optimism was still there or we'd simply fall at the hands of our darkest foe.

"You alright?" Taichi asked, obviously reading the sorrow that I had written all over my face. I nodded stiffly, but he saw through it immediately. He tried to smile comfortingly to me, but he knew there really wasn't any comfort in our situation. I had no idea where Patamon was. He was already on the list of fallen comrades twice and I didn't want his name to appear in a third—much more permanent—way. "We'll find her soon," Taichi informed me, incorrectly reading my worry as fear for Hikari. I felt slightly guilty that I wasn't worried about her because Taichi trusted me to take care of her...

But the guilt was quickly washed away by my own confidence that I simply didn't _have_ to take care of her. I always would, just as Taichi had, but there was one thing he never truly learned. Without Taichi there for her to lean on, Hikari would have fought for herself and she never would have backed down. She was stronger than Taichi seemed to realize—or at least stronger than he _wanted_ to realize.

I was worried about her _now_ because he had brought her up, but I knew it was pointless. Hikari would come back to me no problem. She always had before.

" _Mimi_!" Koushiro's desperation cut though my thoughts like a razor sharp blade and I staggered to a slow halt as Taichi rushed past me, focusing on Sora now. I stared in horror at what I was seeing and was horrified to find that Yorokobi Fujimoto seemed to be the cause of the problems.

Mimi was leaning against a fire hydrant, favouring her ankle, while her legs were cut up and bleeding. She was also cut on her shoulder and her hair was matted and messy. Sora was holding her arm to her chest and I saw a pool of blood growing by her side from the drips escaping from her elbow as the blood ran down her arm. Agumon was by Sora's side, trying to make her feel more comfortable and Palmon was watching over Yorokobi who she had tied to a streetlight—though I couldn't see how.

Yorokobi was tugging and thrashing around like a psychopath, stretching and tugging against whatever was holding her in place. She seemed insane and I fully expected to see steam escape from her ears or nostrils. There were thick streams of tears staining her cheeks and her mouth was hanging open in shock, like she wanted to be screaming, but she couldn't find any sound.

Sora jumped when she felt Taichi's touch, and she pulled her arm away, unwilling to show him what Yorokobi had done to her. When Tentomon and Koushiro both came up on either side of Mimi she chose Tentomon to turn to, explaining the story of how Yorokobi had been the one howling. I couldn't stop myself from eavesdropping, but I also couldn't bring myself to move closer to let them know I could hear them. I was simply staring at the two of them. Yorokobi had done this alone...

What about Gaia? What had _she_ been doing? It had to be worse than this.

Suddenly Taichi fearing Hikari's safety didn't seem so silly.

"And something about Yamato," Mimi explained, catching my attention once more. "I don't know what's going on, but Yorokobi said that Gaia has him."

I was glad I hadn't made myself known to Mimi because she may have been unwilling to share this information if I had. It was important for me to know. But somehow, my body disagreed.

My legs gave way and I fell to my knees on the sidewalk, ignoring the pain. I slowly ran my hands through my hair, feeling like nothing could be worse than this. Why were we still sitting around? Surely the others weren't in quite as much shock as I was. They were able to speak—well, Sora wasn't—and that meant that they could help save Yamato even though I wasn't able to stand.

My mind was focusing on Mimi and Sora's wounds and what kinds of things may have happened to Yamato already. I was scared now, and falling into despair. I felt my heartbeat quicken and my head began pounding like it wanted to explode and somehow everything seemed to become dark.

"Hey Takeru! Over here!"

 _Patamon?_

"Takeru!" Suddenly he was there, standing on the sidewalk in front of me. "We have to hurry! Yamato is in danger!" I nodded, because I already knew. How had Patamon gotten here in just the right moment? It didn't matter because his arrival was letting the light in my mind fight against the darkness. We needed to think positively. We needed to _believe_ that we could win, and then maybe we really could do it.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked back to Hikari who was looking to me with those eyes filled with guilt as if it were her fault that Yamato was taken. I knew it wasn't true, even if it had been an accident caused by her—like leaving the Dark Ocean open, or giving herself up to Myotismon, or letting Gaia out into Earth, or giving her light over to her—it _wasn't_ her fault.

And besides, it seemed likely that she hadn't even been present.

Jou and Gomamon were here now too and my optimism began to grow. We had _four_ partners with us now. If we could find Biyomon and Gatomon then we'd have six sets that could go to save Yamato—and hopefully Gabumon if we were lucky. Four fighters were better than one!

"Sora, are you okay to walk?" Taichi asked, and Agumon pushed him aside, ignoring Sora's hesitation. We didn't have time to wait and Agumon realized that. He pulled Sora to her feet and he and Taichi got on either side of her.

When Koushiro offered to help Mimi to her feet as well, Palmon saw Mimi's face and quickly evolved to Lillymon and scooped Mimi into her arms. Tentomon ignored Koushiro's frustration and fluttered along behind us all, leaving Koushiro in the back. I was so glad that everyone seemed to understand how urgent it was to save Yamato, but there was one thing that stalled even me.

"What about Yorokobi?" I asked stiffly, looking to the girl who was still sobbing by the lamppost.

"In theory," Koushiro said. "The moment we return to our time, she also will do so."

"You're saying we should just leave her here?" Mimi asked sharply. "You think we should leave this psychotic woman alone where she could hurt anyone, if she gets through the binding, and sure we took her knife but there are other ways she could hurt someone, and I mean she tried to _kill_ Sora, so I don't know how safe it is to leave her like this."

Agumon heaved his head back and head butted Yorokobi right in her face, knocking her unconscious. "I don't see the issue," Agumon admitted with a small laugh.

"I think it will be alright," Koushiro said, sounding very sure of himself.

"I trust Koushiro," Taichi agreed, looking to Sora to see if she was alright with the decision. When she slowly nodded, Taichi ignored Yorokobi once more and pressed onward. Koushiro and Tentomon were next with Jou and Gomamon. Soon even Mimi and Lillymon set off after the others and with a gentle tug from Hikari I tore my eyes away from the broken woman.

"We'll come back for her," Hikari said softly. "We'll make sure she gets all the help she needs when we're back in our time." There was a pause and then, with a much quieter voice, as if she didn't want me to hear she said, " _if_ we make it back."

I squeezed her hand and looked her directly in the eyes. "Oh, we will." She nodded and I felt proud that my optimism was able to help again. Even if it wasn't as strong as it usually could be, I was still able to dish out enough to ease her mind.

With Patamon back on my head I continued on my way with the others who seemed to all be headed in one general direction. I wondered if there was any proof at all that the looming overhead cloud of Apocalymon had Yamato waiting there for us, but I was too scared to ask. That was where we were headed nonetheless.

I felt particularly comfortable with both Patamon _and_ Hikari at my side. I knew I could prevail with the others if we could stay as a group once more. "So," I said in a quiet voice, "have you given any thought to our new wedding date?"

Hikari managed a beautiful smile and she looked over to me. "I haven't had a lot of time," she said with a slight edge of humour.

"Really?" I asked with a small smile. "The wedding isn't for twenty-two years, so I think we'll be able to figure something out."

Hikari actually laughed and then she seemed to feel guilty about it, leaning her head on my shoulder. "Maybe after all of this we can set things back to the way they were, you know?"

"With the obvious change that I will be invited," Patamon said, as though he were declaring it to be so.

"Of course," Hikari agreed, reaching up to pat his head.

Patamon hummed his contentedness, but I saw right through Hikari's smile and I squeezed her hand once more. "I know you're not convinced that we'll get the chance," Hikari turned her head away. "But I promise you, I will marry you."

"That sounds lovely," Hikari said, trying to smile again, but giving up when she was sure it wouldn't trick me. "Thank you for getting my light back, Takeru."

I shrugged her appreciation away. "It was my literal destiny. Gennai gave me the Crest of Hope for a reason."

"Still," Hikari insisted. "And even if... even if it _did_ cause Apocalymon to appear—and even if it did startle Mimi into bringing us back in time—Apocalymon had to come out eventually. Together we'll work toward peace for Kurayami. If not for the rest of the world, then for her."

"I can't believe he was there the whole time..." I said in a weaker voice. Hikari looked over to me, startled that I sounded so defeated and I perked myself up quickly. "She's stronger than any of us realized. But you're right. We need to do this for her."

It was then that we fell to silence and together we all walked onward, until the buildings all became too tall. On either side of us stood massive apartment buildings and there was no way to see over them toward Apocalymon's darkness. Sure we knew the general direction, but it was going to be easier if we could _see_.

As Tentomon decided to bring everyone up to the top of the building, starting with Agumon and Sora, Jou finished an explanation of where the others had gone. Taichi and Koushiro were his audience and both simply nodded, but shared a nervous look. Miyako, Iori, Armadillomon, Wormmon, Ken, Veemon and Daisuke were on their way to save Hawkmon from Bagramon... would they be enough?

I wanted to send someone to help, but if we did that, would Yamato be safe? Was I selfless enough to risk that?

I found that I couldn't speak and that I was giving all the decisions to Taichi, which simply wasn't fair, but I wasn't able to make the tough choices. I knew I couldn't do that—not when my brother's life was on the line.

Lillymon followed Kabuterimon up the building, being much more careful to avoid the windows to not be seen, while Kabuterimon simply flew straight upward, not bothering to stay concealed.

When Kabuterimon was on his way back down Hikari pulled sharply away from me, gasping. My heart slammed against my chest as I turned to the direction she had looked, but I was relieved to see a familiar snout poking around the corner, breathing in sharply.

"I'm telling you," Gatomon's voice said, "I smell Veemon. He's that way—"

"And _I_ am telling _you_ ," Garurumon growled, "the others are close."

"Well I'll believe you," Gatomon said. "I can't smell anything aside from dirty socks."

"You just said you smelled Veemon," Garurumon pointed out.

"Yeah," Gatomon agreed.

That was when the two of them came around the corner and I saw that Gatomon was riding around on Garurumon's back. Both of them looked sharply toward the group of us and Gatomon breathed a sigh of relief. Garurumon hurried over to me, shifting to Gabumon the moment Gatomon leapt into Hikari's arms. Gabumon hugged my legs, happy to see me and I hugged him back, but I wasn't ready just yet to tell him how where his own partner was.

We had Gatomon now though, and she and Hikari were a powerhouse team now that we could get all the way to our super ultimate forms. Yamato was going to be saved. Sooner rather than later, I hoped.

"Where were the two of you?" Taichi asked as Kabuterimon lifted him, Jou and Gomamon into his arms.

Gabumon was quick to join the lot of them, jumping into Kabuterimon's arms. "Looking for all of you, of course. We scared some police man away—that was kind of funny."

The last thing I saw of them before Kabuterimon shot straight upward again was Taichi rolling his eyes, and when I looked to Gatomon I found that she was doing the same. "It wasn't that funny," she assured us.

Gatomon stayed curled up in Hikari's arms while Patamon sat on my head and the four of us were entirely silent until we heard a cry of horror coming from someone quite young. We all turned to the alley that Gatomon and Garurumon had come from and then suddenly Kabuterimon was back, wrapping his arms around us. He hissed a quick warning to us, "Keep low," and then he was flying again.

The wind rushed past us as he shot directly upward, but it ended quickly and Kabuterimon reverted back to Tentomon the moment he landed. He moved swiftly past the four of us to where the others were all standing by the edge of the building, looking to something as a group. At first I assumed they were looking to the condensing cloud that was Apocalymon, but all of their eyes were pointed downward.

Confused, Hikari and I moved toward them, following in Tentomon's footsteps and joined them all.

The first thing I saw was a large Parrotmon brushing off a ball of fire, standing down in the streets below and I had a sharp flash of remembrance. Why did this look so familiar to me? My eyes scanned the streets until I saw an Agumon standing with two children who were trying so hard to get the Agumon out of the way.

 _"Sonic Destroyer!"_

Hikari let out a shout of surprise as the electricity shot from the giant colourful bird toward the Agumon and all at once there was crumbling stone and rubble raining down on the three of them. The small boy dragged his sister away to safety, but the Agumon was caught up in the danger of it all.

"Oh," I said breathily as light surrounded the Agumon. Realization washed over me. "Hikarigaoka, _twenty-two_ years ago." Hikari turned to me and nodded. When we looked back to the streets we found that a Greymon was protecting the two children from the falling wreckage.

"Takeru," Patamon said as Greymon slowly stood. "I know you're scared about Yamato." I looked toward Hikari and Gatomon and both were pretending to not have heard him. I was thankful for that. "I want you to know that we're not going to let him die." I opened my mouth to reply, but I couldn't find words. "You've done so much to help me over the years, and Yamato has helped you. It only makes sense that I help him now." I knew it was true that Patamon was going to do all he could to help Yamato, but that didn't mean it would all end well. "Yamato is my family too, Takeru. I'm scared for him as much as you are."

I nodded and looked back to the digimon below, seeing that they had met in the street and their hands were tangled together as they fought for dominance in the fight. All of this felt far too familiar to me. I knew I had seen it before, but it was such a strange feeling knowing that we could not interrupt.

"I'm very sorry you feel this way," Patamon said, rubbing my head gently. "I hate it when you're sad. I love that it doesn't happen often, but that just makes it worse when it actually does..." I knew there were tears in Patamon's eyes now and I hated that. I forced a smile on my face, but Patamon didn't buy it. "I _promise_ you—just like you always do—that this is going to go well. Hope is powerful, Takeru. It's powerful not because it is a delusion, but because if you truly believe in something, it can _become_ the truth. I think, therefore I am."

"That is definitely not what that means," I said, cracking an actual smile this time.

"Close enough," Patamon shrugged.

Together we looked away from Parrotmon and Greymon and toward Apocalymon whose cloud was shrinking at a startling rate. He was finally coming together. "Apocalymon _now_ ," Patamon joked. I rolled my eyes but he just laughed at himself.

"This really isn't something to joke about," Gatomon pointed out, finally joining in the conversation.

Patamon didn't seem to agree. "I'm talking about the good kind of apocalypse though," Patamon explained as if that was a real thing. Gatomon looked as confused as I felt. "We're going to go beat up Apocalymon, right?"

"Sure," Gatomon agreed, but she didn't seem as confident as Patamon.

"So we'll beat him and destroy the way the world is now," Patamon explained. "The truest darkness will be gone, and maybe it won't be at peace until Ryou gets his act in gear—but with Apocalymon gone, we can finally take out Gaia. If she dies then all of the hatred she had instilled into the hearts of _all_ races across the generations and worlds will finally dissipate and true love and _goodness_ will be able to overcome and shine."

"And then light will forever reign supreme," Gatomon said, understanding Patamon's point.

"The darkness can never be truly conquered," a deep voice said from behind. We all turned to see Gennai pacing across the flat top of the roof we had gathered on. "And it will continue to fight against the light forever. But as long as people remember to follow their dreams, evil will be kept at bay." I loved the way he worded that and was already storing it in my head for later.

"Gennai!" Tentomon exclaimed excitedly.

"Gennai," Mimi said brightly, "What are you doing here?"

Gennai looked to Mimi with an amused smile at the way she hung from Lillymon's shoulders. "I am here to assist you." Mimi and Koushiro smiled to one another before Mimi remembered she was upset with him and she turned angrily, leaving him to sigh and drop his head. "I have finished converting the ancient warriors into the future partner digimon of my chosen Digidestined. With the Digital World free of any protectors we are now taking a leap of faith to trust that all will be well."

"It will be," I told him. Gennai seemed worried to hear anything specific about the future so I didn't expand any further.

"When the Crests have been imprinted into the code of the new digimon, they will be sent to the Digidestined," Gennai said, looking to us all. "And that is, of course, _you_ , correct?" Koushiro nodded, and Gennai still seemed to find it all quite strange. He then looked to Patamon and smiled. "Interesting that Seraphimon kept his form, while the ancient warriors—AncientGreymon for instance—formed a simple Agumon."

"I'm no simple Agumon," Agumon growled. "Bite me, Old Man." Gennai held his hands up as if to offer an apology, but then let his eyes fall to Gomamon, Gabumon, Tentomon and even Lillymon. Then, when he turned to Gatomon, his eyes looked sad. I thought it might have had something to do with Salamon evolving to Gatomon under Myotismon's rule. Perhaps she was meant to be something else.

"It is now time to go to Apocalymon," Gennai explained, using his hand to shield out any unwanted light as he looked toward the cloud. "It is time for you to put this to an end."

"As long as you promise not to pop up from the dead and tell us we can never see our partners again," Mimi said with a pitiful laugh. Gennai's face had fallen completely as he stared toward Mimi and she stared back, oblivious for a moment and then she realized what she had done. She shuddered and shook her head quickly. "Just kidding! You're still alive! I just had lunch with you like, yesterday or something!"

Gennai diverted his eyes and absorbed this news quickly, realizing that he did not have time to worry for long. "It matters not," he decided. "We must go."

Mimi nodded, her face bright red. "l... I'm sorry." She let Lillymon walk off then, but then quickly turned back and said sharply, "You're a hero, Gennai. Really, you are." Gennai stared to her a moment and then smiled, nodding his head. And then Mimi and Lillymon were gone, hopping off the edge of the building. Tentomon had evolved once more, gathering Agumon, Sora, Gabumon and Koushiro and then he followed the two women.

Gatomon and Patamon were quick to evolve to Angemon and Angewomon, preparing to go too, but Hikari was not quite ready. She was still watching the scene below.

When Taichi placed a hand on her shoulder she jumped and at the same moment a loud whistling sound filled the air. Hikari looked back to Taichi and she nodded. "You know how it ends," he assured her.

"That's not true at all," she said flatly.

"But we will _soon_ ," I insisted, understanding what she meant immediately. "We'll know by the end of today how this story ends."

Hikari nodded weakly, and looked from me, to Taichi, to Angewomon and then she sighed. "I know." She marched over to her partner and then looked back for a moment. "That's what scares me."

 **Next on Digimon Adventure 09:** Sora and Miyako are taking the next chapter as we find out how Hikari's fears hold up in the actual battle. Are Takeru's hopes enough to keep them going long enough to defeat the chaos?!


	4. Somebody That I Used To Know

**Y/N:** Miyako's part had to put a lot of loose strings together, and it might seem messy, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, all things considered. I hope you enjoy it!

 **U/N:** I promise that this Sora chapter is garbage. I'm letting you know that right now. We're re-reading these before we post them and I haven't gotten to this one yet. It's bad. I know it's bad and it feels out of place and I hated it, but it had to go somewhere. It could be better. It really could.

 **Title: Digimon Adventure 09: Free**

 **By: YukiraKing and UrazamayKing**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Digimon or its characters.**

 **Tri-pocalypse**

 **Chapter 04: Somebody That I Used To Know**

 ** _Miyako Ichijouji:_**

"Wormmon!" Ken and I screamed out at the same time. Unlike Veemon, Wormmon wasn't thrown _away_ from the fight. He was an injured rookie in the midst of the fighting, and he still had Bagramon's attention.

Ken pulled out a gun and shot at Bagramon, trying to distract him. But it was no good. If Valkyrimon's arrows weren't affecting him, then there was no reason to believe that a bullet would. Ken fired off the whole round anyway, and ended up with an empty gun, and feeling no safer about his partner.

Bagramon lifted his foot—the white one, that was carved from fallen pieces of Yggdrasil, just as his oversized arm was—and lowered it onto Wormmon, laughing cruelly, as he experimented with pressure. Wormmon screamed as Bagramon put more weight on him, and stopped when the weight was lifted. Bagramon was overly cruel. I didn't want him to kill Wormmon—I _really_ didn't want that—but it would've been far less painful if he'd done it in one quick movement.

We didn't have any hopes of winning. We should have thought things through. We'd sent Jou on without us, because Yamato was in danger. But we really could have used Gomamon right about then. We needed a super ultimate.

No.

We needed _two_. And we'd had them. They just hadn't been able to fight at the same time, and now they were rookies and in a lot of pain. I wanted to scream for Daisuke to take Veemon and get out of there. They could survive, if they'd just go. But I wasn't leaving Wormmon. I couldn't. He was family.

Valkyrimon was firing arrow after arrow at Bagramon, growing more desperate with each failed attempt. Ken threw his gun at the ground and raced towards Wormmon. I screamed again, because I was going to lose both of them at once. My heart couldn't take much more of this fighting. I'd tried to be strong, because Iori needed me to be. I couldn't afford to be the weak link this time. He couldn't be strong for me like he usually was.

He _could_ , even though he couldn't see it, but I wasn't going to push him. He'd been through enough. Just yesterday, I'd made Bagramon angry when I infiltrated his prison and stole his prized prisoner. He was mad at me, and he was mad at Iori. And it was partially my fault—okay, it was _mostly_ my fault. But I wasn't upset about it. I couldn't bring myself to wish that it happened any differently. Even if we were all going to die there, in that moment, fighting against Bagramon, at least I'd offered Iori a glimpse at freedom. He'd had a night free from Bagramon, without having to fight a war, and if that was all I could give him, then I was glad I'd risked Bagramon's ire, because Iori deserved that much. Even if that 'Bagramon free' did consist of the Temple being invaded by Gaia and her army of infected people...

Part of me wished I could bring myself to run away. I felt cowardly just thinking it, even in passing, but my only thoughts in those moments were of Mai. Her entire family was in this fight. Ken, Wormmon, Valkyrimon and I were all fighting Bagramon, leaving her alone.

It was a cost I didn't want her to need to pay. But I could not even _think_ about actually leaving Ken and Wormmon and Valkyrimon to this fate, not even for Mai. I could not abandon my family when they needed me the most.

My feet were bringing me towards my husband and Wormmon, and I didn't try to stop them. I knew where I needed to go. Ken was caught by Bagramon, with his natural hand, rather than the one manufactured from remnants of Yggdrasil. He held Ken around the neck and lifted him into the air. And my heart _hurt_ to see him like that. But I couldn't help Ken. I _could_ help Wormmon though.

Bagramon lifted his foot, giving Wormmon one more brief moment of relief, before he pressed more weight on him again. I raced as fast as I could and fell to my knees against the concrete. My knees stung with the impact, but I reached out and wrapped my hands around Wormmon's small form and pulled him to my chest. I would have time to feel the pain later. With Wormmon curled against me, whimpering, I forced myself to my feet, while I heard Valkyrimon's loud voice filing the air.

"Feral Sword!" my partner shouted. I ran as fast as I could to get out of range, so that Valkyrimon could focus on saving Ken, without worrying about me. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw Valkyrimon slicing the wrist of the hand that held Ken in the air. Bagramon instinctively released Ken, and swung out with his Yggdrasil hand for Valkyrimon. Valkyrimon was too quick, with his much smaller size, and ducked under the hand, catching Ken before he reached the ground. Valkyrimon raised his free hand to the sky, and shouted "Punishing Storm!"

Wind started whipping around us. It stung my eyes, but I could hear Daisuke's cheer and moved towards him. Valkyrimon caught me from behind and moved quickly, depositing Ken, Wormmon and I with the others. I collapsed to the ground, holding Wormmon against me with one hand while I fussed over Ken with the other. He groaned and tried to smile at me, but ended up coughing, choking in his rushed attempt to get air into his lungs. With a lot of effort, he was able to push himself up on his elbows. He motioned to Wormmon, and I placed the green digimon on my husband's chest. Wormmon curled instinctively, whimpering. Ken's heart broke alongside mine at the sound. Daisuke put a hand on my shoulder, and looked pointedly to the fight.

"I'll watch them," he promised, and I leaned down to kiss Ken's forehead, before I pushed myself to my feet. I couldn't make Valkyrimon fight without my support. It wasn't right, or fair. I could trust Daisuke with both Ken and Wormmon.

"Justice Beam!" Shakkoumon called, firing red lasers from his eyes, directly towards Bagramon. They were little more than a nuisance for Bagramon. It didn't matter how strong the clay digimon was. He was just an ultimate fighting against a digimon that had defeated two super ultimates with little effort. And unlike Valkyrimon, Shakkoumon was enormous, and very slow.

Bagramon picked up the twisted remains of the news van and threw it at Shakkoumon. Iori let out a strangled sound, and I wanted to go to him. But I knew I wasn't needed. I couldn't comfort him the way I knew how. I didn't want to send him into another panic attack. We didn't have enough allies now for me to be able to afford the time it would take to calm him down.

"Kachina Bombs!" Shakkoumon shouted, releasing clay disks that exploded when they came in contact with the van. Scrap metal and engine parts rained down on the ground, and Shakkoumon sent more of his Kachina Bombs towards Bagramon, but he blocked them with ease with his Yggdrasil arm.

"Digivolve!" I shouted to Shakkoumon, desperate to have at least a _chance_ at defeating Bagramon. It wouldn't be enough. There was no way, but our chances of at least weakening him would be far greater with two megas, instead of a mega and an ultimate.

" **Shakkoumon digivolve to... Vikemon!** "

"Arctic Blizzard!" Vikemon called. The air that Valkyrimon had made wild chilled to an icy temperature. The water droplets that were being thrown around by the storm froze into wild ice pellets that drew blood when they made contact with my skin. My hair was blowing around with reckless abandon. I could barely see, and was thankful that my glasses were protecting my eyes from the weather Vikemon and Valkyrimon had put together.

Iori was protecting his face with one arm, holding it high so that he could watch the battle. I decided to go to him, even if he didn't need me. I might've been able to draw silent support from him. I didn't know if I could continue to stay strong through this fight. I was afraid of dying, but I could see no other outcome.

"They can do this," I said, in a feeble attempt to lie, when I arrived at his side. He shook his head. He was lost in thought, not paying enough attention to the battle. I couldn't even begin to understand his feelings. He was watching his partner fight the digimon that had held him captive, the digimon that had made his life miserable, the digimon that _tortured_ him. And he'd watched Armadillomon try to reason with Bagramon without complaint. He wasn't actively trying to get revenge.

I didn't believe that he'd lost his will to fight. It was too far imbedded into his personality. It was a part of who he was. I was _sure_ though, that he wasn't after simple revenge. He wanted to defeat Bagramon, but only to save others from Bagramon, not to avenge his mistreatment.

"Are you okay?" I asked, yelling to be heard over the roaring winds.

"He's going to kill me," he called back. "He's going to kill us all. Of _course_ I'm not okay. And I've made Armadillomon just as fragile as I am. He's breakable now."

"Are you looking at the same digimon I am?" I asked incredulously. Vikemon was unleashing a barrage using his Mjollner attack. In the eye of the storm—which was where Bagramon was standing—a cloud of smoke filled the air. The winds made it spread quickly, and soon we couldn't see Vikemon, Valkyrimon or Bagramon.

The idea that they were fighting while we couldn't see them terrified me. I didn't want to lose Valkyrimon at all, but I especially didn't want to lose him without knowing it. It had been bad enough finding out that Gaia had taken him. It was bad the time Iori wasn't sure he'd made it to safety before we were trapped in the Dark Ocean. I didn't want to feel that uncertainty again. I didn't want the pain that came with the unknown.

"Shakkoumon," Iori said, as if to explain himself. "I was afraid he wouldn't be Vikemon when you told him to digivolve. I thought I would affect that too. I didn't want to risk it. He could've been made of paper, for all I knew."

"You're giving yourself too little credit," I lectured him. "You were hurt, you were belittled and frightened. He took you and tried to unmake you, but you're still standing. Literally, you're standing here, when you could have stayed behind at Primary Village. You didn't _need_ to come."

"You and I both know that's wrong," he said. "We couldn't get peace if we weren't all fighting the same fight. If I stayed behind, where it was safe, then the world would have to pay for my weakness. I couldn't let that happen."

"There you go," I shouted, wincing when I heard a shout emerge from the smoky storm. I didn't know who made the sound, just that it was a deep voice. I had a bad feeling that it wasn't Bagramon. "You're fighting despite the weakness. You're just as strong as you've ever been. You've taken what Bagramon did to you, and converted that pain and fear into motivation. Iori, you're still a hero. Fighting _with_ that weakness just makes you stronger."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, but he was blushing, so I knew he was just embarrassed by my praise. "It won't mean anything if we can't beat him. But we can't. We're not strong enough."

"Then we'll have to _make_ ourselves stronger," I declared.

"How are we supposed to do that?" he wanted to know. The smoke was clearing up, and the winds were dying down. I feared what that meant for Valkyrimon, since he was the one that created the storm, but he was still standing arrow at the ready, looking to Bagramon. Vikemon had Mjollner aimed at Bagramon too.

"Have you come to your senses?" Bagramon asked with a chilly laugh. "Are you ready to lay down your lives, and allow me to finish this? A fight isn't _fun_ without at least a _little_ challenge to it."

"Perhaps we want to know whether _you_ have come to your senses," Valkyrimon said boldly. "You are a proud digimon, yet you bend to the whims of a psychotic, manipulative woman. She's not a digimon, she does not care for digimon. She thinks we are the bane of the worlds. She wishes for the humans and the digimon to wipe each other from existence, yet you _still_ fight at her side. Have you no honour?"

"He won't be reasoned with," Vikemon said, in his deep, rumbling voice.

"Everyone is worthy of a second chance," Valkyrimon insisted. "You offered him that, now, I scoff at his conviction. It is clear to me why he wasn't chosen to join the ranks of the Olympos XII. He isn't worthy of their power. He isn't fit to so much as shine their shoes. The Olympos are the greatest, proudest digimon there are. They hold their pride and their honour above all else. They care for the survival of their species, and for the fate of the worlds. They are good, strong digimon, that won't bend to the whims of Gaia's mere manipulative tricks."

"Yet Jupitermon fell, just the same," Bagramon sneered, getting angrier than before. I wanted Valkyrimon to stop pestering him. He was so much stronger than them. He was going to win. By angering him, Valkyrimon was simply signing himself up for a long, torturous demise.

"Morganna's powers are mightier than Gaia's in that regard," Valkyrimon said, dismissing his claims. "The Olympos XII disregarded Merlin's most powerful curse, and helped to save the world anyway. You bowed under Gaia's plans the moment you met her."

"I do not work for her!" Bagramon shouted.

"Then why are you carrying out _her_ plans?" Valkyrimon questioned. "You are playing her game, following _her_ rules. Maugrim had no more control than you, and even _he_ helped us towards Gaia's defeat. Without him, we might not have known that Gaia's heart was the one split in two. With his last breath, he took the opportunity to help us stop her. But you continue to march to her fife. You are a coward, and a disgrace to digimon kind. If you continue to pursue this plan of action, we will have to stop you. I don't relish the thought, contrary to what you might think. I cherish each life, no matter how cruel or evil the bearer may be."

"You _can_ forsake Gaia," Vikemon said. "You can give up your poisonous path, and pay for your crimes. You do not have to fight under her command any longer. There is always another way."

"How do you feel about that?" I asked, Iori, noticing how tense his shoulders had become. His eyes were watering, and his hands were shaking. He was scared, not angry.

"I don't want him to go free," Iori whispered. "But to take his life would make me no better than him. I don't want that either. I don't know how to feel. I don't know what to say."

"I'll make the choice easy then," Bagramon said, raising his Yggdrasil arm. "I will die to carry on my mission. I _will_ succeed where Graul failed. I will kill the Digidestined!"

"Get out of there!" I shouted, to Valkryimon and Vikemon. Bagramon threw his arm back, and a light started to form in his palm. His eyes shone with manic purpose. He was done playing around. He'd been toying with them. I knew he had been. They wouldn't have lasted nearly so long if he was being serious.

Vikemon and Valkyrimon fled, before Bagramon could hit them with his "Astral Snatcher!" attack. It was horrifying, watching that white, oversized hand fly through the air, leaving crimson red streaks of energy in its wake. If that had hit one of our friends...I didn't think they'd be standing.

I'd never seen Bagramon use an attack. He had used brute strength the day before, when I went with Kurayami to save Iori. He'd used his Yggdrasil limbs as weapons when facing off against UlforceVeedramon and GrandisKuwagamon. He'd never used an actual attack. At least not around me. Vikemon and Valkyrimon's speech had made him angry enough to actually use them. With the sheer power in his brute strength, I was absolutely sure I didn't want to see what his attacks _did_. He could cause unspeakable damage without them.

"If you could digivolve, that would be _awesome_ ," I cried. Valkyrimon either just couldn't do it, or hadn't heard my plea. I turned to Iori, only to find that he was deep in thought. I stared long enough that he started thinking out loud, just to keep me from panicking completely.

"Veemon was gifted the power by our friends. Veemon and Wormmon are in no position to gift their strength to anyone," Iori started, "and having Vikemon give his to Valkryimon, or vice versa would be pointless, because we've already established that one super ultimate isn't enough to win. We need two. But Winter gifted Hawkmon her power. That has to be similar, right? Maybe Valkyrimon could use that power to reach this new level. It was Winter's final gift for a reason. She wanted you to use it."

There was big part of me that wanted to believe him. I didn't though. I couldn't. Winter wouldn't use her last breath to give us the strength to kill—she just wasn't that person anymore. And if I was being honest I never felt special enough to be on league with Taichi, Hikari, Sora and the others. "What about Vikemon?" I demanded, keeping Iori distracted as best I could. I was suspicious now though if it weren't the other way around. "How are we supposed to win with just _one_? You just said that it was impossible!"

"I don't know," he said, biting his lip. "I—forgiveness won't help me. Daisuke didn't need to show the ultimate humility, and Wormmon didn't use the greatest kindness. Winter's gift wouldn't be the highest of honours—though I suppose that's actually debatable—"

"Gennai," I said.

"What about him?" Iori wanted to know.

"He sacrificed himself for you," I reminded him. "He gave you his power, in order to allow you to live. Maybe that power is useless or used up or something, but maybe it's not. Just...try to access it. If we can't, then...I guess it was an honour to know you."

"You too," he said. I was tempted to hold my hand out for him to shake, but I knew that wouldn't be appreciated, so I kept my hands to myself.

I closed my eyes, and focused only on Winter. I remembered the moment she died, and the moment I met her all at once. She was in the library when I was a kid, and she was lying on the ground, with Summer hanging over her. She was in the Dark Ocean, giving Iori missions so he could let his anger out, and she was bringing me from the Dark Ocean to Sidhendor. She was being crowned queen in a glorious moment, and she was leading me through the Looking Glass to Sidhendor for the first time, demanding I write a list of the Great Evils—as she thought they were. She was angry, she was desperate, she was hopeful, she was fiercely proud, and she was solemn. She was beautiful and broken, and powerful, and she wanted to be my friend. She was a mixture of Mari and I. She chose us for the reflections of herself she was able to see within us. I held a piece of her inside of me, just as Hawkmon held her power inside of him.

It may have been spring now, but Winter had one last move to make, one last storm to unleash, and when I opened my eyes, I was looking at it. Valkyrimon was engulfed in a turquoise burst of energy that was curling and whipping around like a snow flurry.

When my partner emerged, he was both remarkably similar, and yet very different. He announced himself as "BurstValkyrimon" and he was glorious, and majestic. His wings had grown, large enough that when they were relaxed, they resembled a cape. _Before_ he had red and gold accenting his white ensemble, now he had blue and silver everywhere, making me think of cold and winter. His helmet was the same strange blue metal that Winter's crown had been made from, with white, blue and silver feathers sticking out the back. He held a sceptre with an eagle on it, rather than having a golden bird that obeyed his command, and his shield now incorporated a crossbow, rather than him having a quiver on his back.

Looking at him, I couldn't help but remember Winter. She was sort of living on in him, and it made me want to cry because it was a beautiful thought, even if it wouldn't help much without Vikemon digivolving too—unless BurstValkyrimon was able to stay strong, and not die long enough for Veemon to recover from his battle. He was less injured than Wormmon, so it _was_ a possibility. We just might lose Vikemon in the meantime, and no one wanted that.

"Iori?" I murmured, but he didn't respond. He was standing with his eyes closed, his eyes flickering beneath their lids as he tried to draw on Gennai's strength. I wondered if he was just focussing on his own energy, trying to find Gennai within himself, or if he was doing as I had done, and simply remembering everything he could about Gennai.

It was hard, some days, to think of Gennai fondly. He was so rash in his decision to throw us out of the Digital World. He had never warned us that Apocalymon was the final bad guy—but then maybe he never realized he'd _needed_ to. He'd told us just now, in the past. He'd told us before he'd even _met_ us. It was mind boggling to say the least. I could barely comprehend what was going on anymore. Our lives were so strange and confusing that I just had to go with it sometimes and figure things out later, when everything was less intense.

Vikemon didn't start glowing, so whatever Iori was doing wasn't working. I couldn't wait for him to figure it out. I also couldn't be sure that it was a possibility. Winter had given her life force to _Hawkmon_ , not me, while Gennai gave his to Iori, not Armadillomon. That might've been a problem.

But Armadillomon literally passed through Iori's heart in order to exist again, after Hikari had freed him from Gaia's clutches. My logic couldn't be _entirely_ off. I really thought I might've had something there—an ace up the sleeve, a secret weapon that would help me be sure that my family (which included my friends) alive.

"Do your best, BurstValkyrimon!" I called, feeling proud to see a super ultimate out there. It meant that Hawkmon and I were so in sync that we'd managed what only a few had managed to do in the whole world. There were plenty of ultimate and mega digimon out there, but there weren't a lot of super ultimates hanging around. Hawkmon had joined that elite. He'd surpassed all others of his race, and found a new level, one of his own. He was doing them justice, and I was sure they would be very proud of him.

There was a lot of punching, and shooting. BurstValkyrimon was faster than ever before, and was able to avoid Bagramon's attacks, but he wasn't able to land an attack of his own either. They were in a stale mate. The only thing in BurstValkyrimon's favour was the fact that he was a long distance warrior, and could keep away from Bagramon at the same time as trying to attack him. It made me feel like there was a false sense of safety. But that didn't mean we were going to win. Winter wasn't enough to help us bring about a miracle.

But Winter _and_ Gennai...together, I was sure they could achieve anything, even after their mutual passing.

Vikemon wasn't rolling over and giving up though, even if he wasn't as strong as he would have liked. His Mjollner attacks weren't enough to turn things to our favour, but it was enough to keep Bagramon disoriented while Valkyrimon evaded his attacks—and Valkyrimon returned the favour whenever Bagramon got angry enough at Vikemon to try and kill _him_ instead.

"Come on Gennai," Iori murmured, distracting me from the fight. I got the feeling I wasn't meant to hear any of it. He wasn't talking to me at all. He was talking to a man that wasn't dead yet, technically, because of the time travel. Wisely, I kept my mouth shut. "Help us this one last time. I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I'm sorry I thought you were a jerk with a control complex. I'm sorry you needed to give up your life because I was stupid enough to stand still when a sword was flying at me. I need help. I don't know what to do, and I need advice. I know you can't answer me. You can't even hear me, but I need you. I'm scared of him. I'm scared of what he'll do to my partner, to my friends. But I don't want to sink to his level either."

I waited, wondering if he was done, and for a moment, it seemed as though he was. He was watching Vikemon try to bowl Bagramon over, and let out a shocked gasp when Bagramon managed to throw Vikemon over his shoulder where he crashed on the concrete, just beside the water's edge, leaving a massive crater in the solid ground with an ear splitting _crack_.

"He makes it so hard to _not_ want revenge," Iori said, shaking his head. "I don't want to forgive him. I don't know if I can."

"No one can make you," I told him firmly. I understood that it was hard for him. I couldn't understand the _extent_ of that difficulty, because I wasn't him, and didn't live through his exact experience, but I _had_ been tortured—both physically and mentally. I had the scars to prove it. "I didn't forgive Sigma for _years_. But I learned his story, and I understood what made him the way he was, and I felt sorry for him. I felt pity for the man that made my life hell. I won't _ever_ forget what he did. But by allowing my fear and hatred to fester, I was carrying him with me. Forgiving him wasn't for Sigma's sake. It was for my own. He couldn't control me anymore. He couldn't hurt me, even in my memories, because I'd taken that power away, just like he'd taken my control from me."

"I'd like to feel strong again," Iori said. "I'd like to be the guy that Gennai deemed worthy."

"Oh Iori," I said sadly, "you never stopped being him. You're different, but you're _stronger,_ even in your fragile state, than you've ever been. You're a survivor, and Gennai knew that."

"I need to take control back," he said firmly. "I need to stop carrying him with me."

"Don't let it fester for years like I did," I warned him. I knew it had only been one day since he'd found his freedom, and it was a _lot_ to ask him, but I really felt that Iori in particular needed to let that go. He didn't need to forget. He never would, and it would take a long time to work through the trauma, but it would be healthier to do that without the weight of Bagramon on his shoulders.

And he could hold a grudge better than anyone I'd ever known. He had a baby girl at home that needed him. He couldn't dedicate his life to Bagramon, even through an eternal hatred. That wasn't healthy. He was already scared enough that he'd never be what Kana needed him to, just emotionally, after everything he'd gone through. I couldn't allow that extra degree of separation.

I knew I was overstepping boundaries, but he was stronger than me. I couldn't bear my scars. I hid them away, and I cowered in fear any time anyone noticed them. He wouldn't do that.

Iori squeezed his eyes closed, and bowed his head. He didn't look like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn't look any different, until he opened his eyes. They were less strained. They weren't happy, or even content. But the weight of the worlds was still on his shoulders—just like the rest of us—so that was to be expected. Once we'd saved the world, and he'd had time for his body to recover, he might look a little more hopeful.

But that could only happen _if_ we saved the world, of course.

"Look," Iori said. His voice didn't sound overly excited. It mostly just sounded exhausted, but I could hear the surprised tone underneath the tired exterior. I had a grin on my face, even before I saw what it was, because I _knew_. Maybe he'd needed to make a grand gesture for Gennai's latent power to activate, or maybe he'd needed to draw on Gennai's strength to find it in himself to forgive Bagramon for his actions. Bagramon was working mostly for himself, now that Maugrim was gone, but he'd been following Gaia's instructions by way of Maugrim. It didn't make what he did any better, but it was something that I was sure Iori was focussing on in order to not feel guilty about forgiving him—even if the forgiveness was done for health reasons, and peace of mind, rather than trying to ease Bagramon's conscience in any way. I wasn't sure Bagramon was capable of feeling guilt.

It didn't matter anyway, because Vikemon was glowing, and Bagramon was cursing to himself. He knew what was happening. He knew he was losing the advantage he had. We'd defeated Yggdrasil thanks to a super ultimate, VictoryGreymon—and also because of the crack that Dorugoramon managed to inflict in the In-Between of course—and so his white, manufactured limbs wouldn't be enough to protect him against _two_ super ultimate digimon.

" **Vikemon digivolve to... Blastmon!** "

The digimon was enormous. He wore armour over his lower half, and gauntlets embedded with gems that extended up his arms. He had a flowing cape that fell down his back, and a tail that was plated with armour as well. But it was his torso and head that really stole the show. He was made of dozens—maybe hundreds—of diamonds. They glistened in the moonlight, and were perfect symbolism. They looked delicate, but diamonds were the toughest substance I could think of off the top of my head. They were just like Iori, because I didn't know anyone tougher than him, and he looked like he'd fall over in a gentle breeze.

"Diamond Machine Gun!" Blastmon called, as BurstValkyrimon unleashed a barrage of arrows. Large diamonds shot from his skin at a high velocity, and Bagramon narrowly escaped the flying gems and arrows. He didn't have time to relax, however, because Blastmon was already running forward, bellowing out "Diamond Hedgehog!" as loud as he could, before rolling over Bagramon, flattening him under immense weight. Bagramon struggled to his feet after the attack, and prepared his own attack.

"Astral Snatcher!" he screamed, slashing through the air towards Blastmon.

"Laser Javelin!" Valkyrimon intervened, using his staff to blast lasers at Bagramon's knees, causing him to fall, mid-swing. Valkyrimon sent two more laser blasts toward our enemy, before Blastmon took over once more.

"Kenran Crystal Volcano!" he shouted, throwing himself at Bagramon, and immediately exploding in an impressive display of fire. When he landed on the ground, Bagramon was lying, barely conscious, trying to get to his feet, stuck on the crazed mission he thought Maugrim wanted completed.

BurstValkyrimon smacked him over the head with his staff, and Bagramon fell to the ground unconscious. Then our partners looked to us, waiting for further instructions. I turned to Iori, letting him know it was his call. The loss of a life pained me, no matter how evil they might be, but this was his choice. This was his literal demon that would haunt him. I needed him to decide. I had gotten the chance to rid the world of Sigma after all.

"Leave him," Iori said. He was struggling with the decision, but he'd forgiven the digimon, and he was taking the moral high ground, even though he'd accomplished what he'd wanted, and had helped his partner reach super ultimate level. But I should've expected that. Iori was honourable to a fault at times, and he would never forgive someone if he didn't mean it for one reason or another. He wouldn't turn his back on that decision, no matter how tempting it might be. "We'll deal with him when we're not in the past. Apocalymon's more important than he is."

 ** _Sora Takenouchi:_**

"So," Tentomon said brightly, "the ten warriors of the Digital World were converted into us."

"Yes, that's right," Gennai confirmed with a brief nod.

Tentomon, who already knew this information, seemed amused. "How strange it is to be here while that occurred. Now I am in two places at the same time." Gennai nodded, with a smile on his face. He apparently had taken quite a liking to Tentomon in this time as well. That wasn't very surprising. What _was_ surprising was how fast Gennai had bounced back after hearing that he was dead in our time. He could see how old we were and that meant he could see how much longer—roughly—he had left.

Not long, by his standards.

I wondered how much longer Yamato had left to live.

Agumon was walking in the front of the procession with Lillymon who was still supporting Mimi, while Taichi walked with Koushiro behind Tentomon and Gennai. Angemon and Angewomon were walking behind Hikari and Takeru for protection and Gabumon was by my feet while Jou and Gomamon walked next to me. All of us were here for one mission, to save the world, and yet all my mind could think of was _Yamato_.

It was so selfish of me to worry about one life instead of the lives of _everyone_ , but we weren't necessarily facing an apocalypse situation here. Gaia sure didn't want the worlds to be destroyed. What would she rule if nothing existed? That thought comforted me as I thought about saving him. Saving him was so important to me now. He had constantly saved me and I had hardly so much as thanked him for it, but now I could do the same for him.

Or at least I would try.

"There are so many questions," Tentomon was saying, "So many unanswered questions that you've left for us to solve on our own."

"That does sound like something I might do," Gennai said with a pleasant smile. "If all answers are simply handed to you on a silver platter, then there would be no adventure or discovery. If I told you how your story would unfold, then you would never have to struggle, and you would never _grow_."

"This is very true," Tentomon agreed, "and as a Crest bearing digimon, growing is very important to me. Without the constant development of both Koushiro's personality and my own, we would never have been able to keep up with our team mates. As it is, we not only were able to keep up, but were capable of reaching Super Ultimate before the rest of them."

"I thought Agumon did that first," Taichi shrugged.

"Why, because Agumon does everything first?" Tentomon asked.

"Not everything," Agumon said, turning around to walk backwards. "I think Gabumon reached super ultimate before me."

"No!" Tentomon shouted. "Well, yes actually, he did. But I did it first! Several months before either of you managed."

"It is true," Koushiro confirmed with a rather triumphant look on his face.

Tentomon was relieved to have Koushiro back him up, but his attention turned to Gennai again when a question came his way. And Tentomon did so love inquiring minds. "I know I may regret asking this, but what exactly is a super ultimate?"

Tentomon lunged into a full blown explanation about glitches in the Digital World and what kinds of affects they could have on others who survived their attacks. I started having flashbacks to Arkadimon as Tentomon explained it away and I tried to shut him out of my mind but I couldn't. Time travel was extraordinarily confusing, and as such, I didn't know if I had ever died by Arkadimon or not, but I knew it had come close. I knew Neo _would_ have died had I not saved him. I knew Patamon and Agumon had died. I knew Gabumon nearly died _twice_ by his hand. I knew Arkadimon was cruel and vicious and created by the only man I could find it in myself to truly hate. Arnold. He had put me through so much, and all of my focus had gone to him.

So, was it possible that I had simply forgotten harming Yorokobi? Had I actually been the cause of her downfall without realizing? I had been locked away in Mimi's restaurant at the time, but it was possible that I may have inadvertently caused her pain.

I winced and held my arm closer to myself again, turning my head from the others.

I slowly traced the cuts that Yorokobi had formed on my arm and I felt tears in my eyes. I hated that I was carrying around a reminder of her attempted murder. I wasn't sure what she had been trying to express, or what she had been trying to write, but as it was there were simple lines, like half formed kanji and I hated it.

I wanted it to be healed and cured.

I wondered how Miyako felt about the scars from Sigma. It was pitiful and selfish of me to worry about my own scars when hers were much worse. Emotional scars were far worse than physical ones anyway, and I had my fair share of those.

"How much longer until Apocalymon is formed?" Tentomon asked casually as if the answer wasn't about to determine all of our survival chances.

Gennai looked up to the cloud and pursed his lips. I did the same, looking up and seeing just how condensed the clouds now were. The thick dark rolling clouds looked like spiralling smoke. Where they had once been spread across the overhead night sky, they were now rolled into a neat orb above us that looked ready to hatch like an egg. I was scared. I would be brave, but I was still scared.

"Not much longer, I'm afraid," Gennai informed us all, rather than simply Tentomon. "Are you all prepared?"

"To save my brother?" Takeru asked. "You bet I am."

"And to stop Apocalymon of course," Angemon added, patting Takeru's head.

"And don't forget Gaia," Hikari pointed out, "she's still out there."

"We could never forget her," Angewomon assured her partner.

Gennai seemed pleased with everyone's readiness to assist us, but he was stuck on Angewomon's words. He did not know who Gaia was. We knew that because when we had brought her name up before, he had been unfamiliar with her at all. But that meant, if all of this had happened before, Gennai would not be around for the fight. At least not the whole fight.

Did that mean we were soon to leave this time?

What would the others say when we jumped back into their midst, bloody and wounded with Apocalymon right on our tail? Would they be ready to help us? I could just see them now.

 _Michael would cry out in surprise while Willis pulled him away to safety. Mari would be prepared but Hideto would only be filled with so many questions because not even he could see that coming. Kiyoko would try not to panic, but would be unsure of how to help, and of course Kurayami would get dragged into the mess, thinking it was her fault because she had carried him around with her._

Neo would be there too, but he was Neo. He would stand there, say something like _"You had all the time in the world, and still haven't defeated him? Must I do everything myself?"_ and then he'd help us.

I would appreciate his help, we _all_ would. I was scared by how close we were coming to Apocalymon because we still had not located Biyomon. We had all suspected, without confiding in each other, that Yamato would be kept under Apocalymon, where hopefully we would find Gaia. But that did not account for where my perfect partner would be. I could not help in the fight unless I had her. I was just a human who couldn't even stop Yorokobi from attacking me.

For all I knew Biyomon was somewhere in the streets preaching the meaning of love to random passersby.

I scanned the crowd to be sure we weren't forgetting anyone and I came up short, thankfully. Jou elbowed me when I had finished and I looked over to him. Gomamon, who was in his arms, was looking to me with big eyes and I smiled to him the best I could. "We'll find her," Jou said in a quiet voice. I supposed I had been pretty obvious about what I was thinking of. "Biyomon is pretty strong, Sora. She stopped Behemoth when no one else could."

"But if she wanted to be found, why hasn't she evolved to Birdramon and simply flown into the sky?" Gomamon asked. "That's what I would have done. Especially since I know that Gaia and Yorokobi were looking for us partner digimon."

Jou held Gomamon tighter and the seal gasped loudly. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't. Gomamon was right. Gaia was looking for our partners. Gaia probably _did_ have Biyomon.

There was a silence that encompassed us as we moved slowly down the dimly lit street. It felt odd that there were no people around, but it was late it seemed. There were faint lights that shone on us from the streetlights but it felt dark and it felt damp. The streets were familiar and I knew them well. It felt like a normal night time stroll to me aside from, of course, the Gaia factor of it all.

The buildings that lined the street on either side of us were familiar too, though they looked different. Wrong. It was an odd situation to be in and I hoped we could ignore it and move onward soon.

"Anyway," Jou said, handing me something black. I was staring at it, but I was sure it had to be a mistake and that my eyes were taking it in wrong. Jou could not have had a gun with him—this was _Jou_. "You don't have a partner right now. You should keep safe."

"I'll keep her safe," Gabumon said brightly. "I love Sora, and don't say she doesn't have a partner. Just because Biyomon isn't here doesn't mean they're not still partners. They're independent. There's nothing wrong with that." I smiled to Gabumon and rubbed his head gently, thanking him for his thoughts, and then I slowly turned back to Jou.

I was nervous to actually take the weapon, but I knew Jou would not back off until I had it in my hands. I prepared myself mentally for a moment and then all at once I grabbed it.

The moment my fingers curled around the grip Gennai had spoken, startling me into almost dropping the gun itself. I turned to Gennai who was silently apologizing to me, stalling in his words, and I quickly placed the weapon in the bag I had slung over my shoulders. It was a small one, and was filled by a water bottle and my digivice. I took the water bottle out and drank what was left before tossing it in a bin nearby and then there was room for the gun.

But there was a problem.

"And so I think we should—" Gennai was saying.

"Guys!" I said sharply, bringing us all to a stop, huddled around a tall building near the end of the street. It was a greyish brick building and I didn't recognize it at all, but there was a small alley to the left that would allow us to continue. Apocalymon was _close_ now and it would be quite awful if we were to find ourselves unable to move on from this point. Still panicked I pulled my digivice from my bag. I looked it over one last time to ensure I wasn't crazy. "It's not working." There was complete silence as they stared at me. The screen was a buzzing mess. It was completely useless. "Biyomon...?"

"Mine is the same," Koushiro pointed out, easing my mind quickly. Slowly the others began looking over their digivices and each of them was in the same place. Their devices were useless. "We need to go back—"

"I disagree," Takeru said sharply. "We're so close—"

"It seems likely that our proximity to Apocalymon is what is causing the disturbances," Tentomon explained. "Yamato's signal vanished when Gaia took him, correct?" Jou nodded. "Exactly. So if we return, we can make use of our digivices, evolve to our highest forms and _then_ return to fight Gaia and Apocalymon."

"Don't you think it's going to be a little conspicuous of us?" Gabumon asked. "How are we going to ambush Gaia if a giant purple bug, a dragon man, a flower woman, a massive golden sea monster, and two shimmering dragons make their way across the sky toward her?"

Tentomon hesitated, but then said, "I suppose we won't be ambushing her then, will we?"

"We don't have _time_ for this!" Takeru exclaimed loudly. I felt a pang of sorrow in my chest as Takeru worried for his brother's safety. He was right of course. There wasn't enough time to go back, but we also couldn't fight with only Lillymon, Angemon and Angewomon. What kind of outcome would that lead to?

Not a good one.

Taichi was thinking, and I could tell by the way his brows came closer together. Everyone was relying on him again and he knew it. Koushiro and Tentomon began expressing the pros for leaving now, leaning heavily on what our power would be when we were to return and how quick it would be to come back while flying through the sky. Gabumon and Takeru were pretty adamant about getting in and saving Yamato, hopefully without being noticed.

I thought both ideas were terrible. It was too bad there weren't any good ones.

When Gomamon put his two cents in, joining Koushiro's side, Jou found himself embarrassed to be joining in as well. He wanted to be as safe as possible, and going back was the best way to have that be a reality. Emiko and Renjiro needed a father, and while Jou hadn't said anything about it, I knew that was where his mind first went. He was right. Jou needed to be safe. Hikari was on Takeru's side with a small tweak in his plan.

"What if Angewomon takes a quick look, and then if Yamato is there, she goes in, gets him, and we leave?" She suggested. "Then we'll come back with our full forms and then everyone could be strong."

"But that risks Angewomon," Mimi reminded her, and Hikari looked nervously to her partner.

I knew that I would follow whatever Taichi's plan was, but he didn't seem to want to come up with one this time. Slowly his eyes turned to Gennai who was trying to follow along and understand to the best of his ability where each of our opinions came from. This Gennai did not even know who we were. We could not trust him to make the hard decisions in the same way we could trust _our_ Gennai.

But every single move needed to be carefully calculated now. If this was truly our final battle, we had to ensure that we made no mistakes, because there was no time after this to fix the flaws in our plans. But we couldn't let Taichi fall into his over calculated mode again. He had to decide now.

"Taichi, what do we do?" I asked. All eyes turned to him but he shrugged, and looked around like he wanted more information. "Taichi, what are you thinking?"

He looked to me and sighed, there was a deep cavern of thought hidden behind his eyes. "I don't know, Sora. I think we should trust our partners to be able to help, but we know a rookie just won't be strong enough—"

"I can get to ultimate if I try hard enough," Agumon cut in. "It won't last long, but it might give us enough time?"

"I can too," Gomamon said. "Agumon has a better record than I do though, and I've already worn myself out. I might only get to Ikkakumon."

"Kabuterimon should be easy enough to access as well," Tentomon said.

"WereGarurumon can join the fight," Gabumon shrugged. "I'll hold it as long as I can to help Yamato. It might not be perfect, but it's better than just little old me."

I looked back to Taichi to see if that would sway his opinion and it seemed it had. He was nodding and seemed more confident than ever. I imagined it was probably because it gave us a time limit and something felt conclusive and climactic about that, but to me it only made everything much more horrifying. What if we _couldn't_ do it fast enough? What if they weren't strong enough to stay in their ultimate forms for more than a couple of minutes? There was no way of knowing how much time we would have with them.

Nevertheless Taichi was slowly forming a smile on his face and the confidence that oozed from him was infectious. I very nearly formed a smile myself until I saw what was creeping across the ground toward his ankle.

" _Taichi_!" I shrieked. He jumped in surprise and looked to the sky, but he had no idea what to look for. Thankfully Lillymon caught sight of it and she stomped her foot into the slinking vine. "She knows we're here."

No one responded, which just made everything much more ominous. There was total silence around us as we stared toward the vine that was retracting back to the alleyway that it had initially come from. Perhaps Gaia was just forming a base and the vines were spreading through the city. It could have been a coincidence that the vine had found us. She wasn't showing herself after all. It was possible we were safe.

I very nearly convinced myself of that too, until at least fifteen vines shot around the corner, as thick as a baseball, but as agile as a weasel in the way they swerved through the air, around the bend. It was time to evolve apparently, as Greymon and Kabuterimon both showed their faces to block us all from the attack.

My heart was already hammering and I wasn't ready for the fight yet. My mind had not yet wrapped itself around our predicament and when I felt a hand around my wrist I nearly panicked before I found that it was only Jou. He had Gomamon held firmly under one arm and he was dragging me along behind Takeru and Hikari. Koushiro, Lillymon and Mimi, Taichi and of course Gennai were all running along behind us while Gabumon debated staying to help the others.

The vines doubled in numbers and Greymon evolved to MetalGreymon swiftly, using his metal claw to cut straight through the thick cords. As Kabuterimon launched his "Electro Shocker" I found that my entire core was prepared for the fight now too. My eyes never stopped moving, I was standing on my toes, ready to evade at a moment's notice and best of all I felt powerful. I felt like I could actually be useful.

We moved quickly around the bend and straight into the alley where Gaia was standing at the opposite end, her arms raised. The glow from the streetlight directly behind her created only a dark shape that was rather eerie to look at, but there was no denying that we had found Gaia.

Lillymon finally placed Mimi on the ground and she fell into Gennai's arms as Lillymon rushed forward to the front of the group. "Flower Cannon!" she cried out, firing toward our foe. A wall of vines shot up to block the attack and it completely dissipated.

"Step aside," MetalGreymon ordered, standing over us all. "Tera Destroyer!" his chest opened up and two massive bullets shot directly toward that wall of vines.

"What a perfect attack name," Gomamon said. "I hope it's not false advertising and that it actually _does_ destroy Terra." He laughed at himself, but the rest of us were watching the missiles fly and the moment it came in contact with the vines I knew we should have gotten out of the way.

With a _boom_ that vibrated my very core, the missiles exploded. The buildings on either side—which thankfully seemed to be empty storefronts—imploded on themselves and the vines caught on fire, clearing a path for us all. The fire did not dissipate, and in fact both stores seemed to catch the flames quickly. Luckily it seemed that MetalGreymon had lessened the power of his attack, but it was still overkill. We did not need so much force.

"Can you put it out?" Gabumon asked Gomamon.

"Not unless I can get to Plesiomon," Gomamon said sheepishly. Gabumon nodded, and then rushed forward, shifting not to Garurumon, but directly to WereGarurumon and he jumped into the air, landing beyond even Lillymon. He ran straight toward Gaia who acted quickly and several vines were making their way toward him. WereGarurumon used his instincts and jumped upward, latching onto a crumbling wall before jumping toward Gaia, landing directly on top of her.

"GO!" Taichi ordered everyone, taking advantage of Gaia's distraction.

MetalGreymon's time was up it seemed and he had reverted to his smaller Greymon state, but at least he had made use of his form before the time had run out.

We all did as Taichi said, pushing forward, rushing toward where WereGarurumon was being tossed aside by Gaia. She was not finished with him though. She didn't want him in her domain. Her vines were quickly wrapping around him and a moment later he was being thrown our way.

Jou and Gomamon both went down with him, but Takeru had pulled me out of the way before I met the same fate. I wanted to stay to help them get back to their feet, but I knew they were capable enough on their own. My sights had to be on saving Yamato who I was sure was in with Gaia.

With WereGarurumon reverting back to his own champion form I found that my confidence was wavering quickly. Gomamon and Kabuterimon were still able to evolve hopefully, and we had Angemon, Angewomon and Lillymon on our side still, as well as Greymon, but if we kept fighting individually we weren't going to be able to defeat her.

I wasn't the only one thinking that way.

"Omni Typhoon!"

"Heaven's Charm!"

The tornado shot ahead of us quickly, catching Gaia for only a moment as she leapt free from the harsh winds only to be struck with a direct hit from Angewomon. The pair was not finished yet though, for hitting Gaia once was not enough to celebrate. "Celestial Arrow!"

"Angel Rod!" Angemon chose to actually throw his rod along with Angewomon's arrow, aiming higher, seeing Gaia's pattern of avoiding from above and the rod hit her directly in the chest, knocking her backward.

" **Angemon digivolve to... MagnaAngemon!** "

As Angemon was flashing in his evolution, that I was impressed by as Angemon had not expressed an ability to become an ultimate without the help of Takeru's digivice, Angewomon took advantage of Gaia's stumble backward. "Holy Air!"

A ring formed around Gaia and she was paralyzed.

I looked around and saw that our team was in a similar position, finding themselves to be paralyzed as they watched the fight. I wasn't going to do the same. I had to get in _with_ Gaia. I had to find and save Yamato. Takeru and Hikari were working overtime to make that happen, but it wasn't going to be any use unless someone actually _did_ something.

I dashed forward, pulling out of Taichi's grip when he tried to stop me, and I simply pressed forward. I had to save Yamato.

"Gate of Destiny!"

I caught sight of the gate appearing mere feet away from Gaia's paralyzed form. She began to scream the moment the gate opened. Her hair was whipping around and she was being pulled forward. I hated that I actually found a way to be optimistic about the outcome, stopping in my tracks.

Could the two of them _actually_ stop her?

It was too good to be true. Vines appeared out of thin air, blocking the gate completely as Gaia finally pulled free of her paralysation. She did not hesitate for a moment and fear shot through me at the sight of her angered face.

"Look out!" I shouted, assuming the attack would be aimed at the two angels. Instead, a blunt edged vine moved so quickly that I hadn't even seen it coming for a second. It hit Lillymon directly in the chest and she flew straight backward, slamming into Greymon and a moment later, Palmon was resting on Agumon's unmoving form.

"Electro Shocker!"

"Harpoon Torpedo!"

So Ikkakumon had entered the fight, but I knew that two champions weren't going to be much use.

Gaia easily avoided both attacks, but that was when MagnaAngemon thought of his plan. It would have been an ingenious plan at any time aside from this one.

He began opening the Gates of Destiny in as many places as he could, opening small portholes to a different, unknown dimension, expecting to pull Gaia into the darkness inside. I didn't know how well it would work, but I _did_ know that I was far too close for comfort. I felt the tugging of the air currents as the portals all began to suck in like a vacuum.

Gaia created a wall of vines to hold her in place, but I was not nearly as lucky. A scream escaped my lips as my feet were pulled out from underneath me.

And then I was being pulled faster than I could comprehend toward the open gate, sliding along the dirty paved ground. I felt my sides tearing up and I screamed louder, this time in pain. I was so close now, close enough to _touch_ the portal and I knew I was going in. And then, all at once it had stopped.

The portal had shattered into hundreds of pieces and I hadn't seen how. But I found my answer a few seconds later. Black lighting rained from the sky, tearing through the portals like they were nothing. When one final portal remained, it shot light up to fend off the lightning. It worked, but when the lighting stuck again, it was aimed at a different location.

" _No!_ " Takeru cried out as the lighting—black like the night—split into two. One end shot straight through MagnaAngemon and the other pierced through Angewomon's shoulder.

Patamon and Gatomon were in their place a moment later, and the portal dissipated on its own.

I wanted to be unsure of who had shot the lightning, but it was too obvious. Apocalymon had just saved my life. And that meant he had either done so unintentionally, or he needed me. Which meant he needed Yamato. Which meant—

And there he was.

I struggled to my feet, seeing him there, tied up next to Biyomon. Relief washed over me at the sight of the two of them in the center of Gaia's nest. Where there should have been stone walls surrounding us there were only thick vines making up not only the walls but the floor as well. Where Yamato and Biyomon sat there was a golden ring with a diamond crater in the center.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was supposed to go there. Gaia had formed a prism with our partner's and the Crests. Apocalymon wanted the Crests, and so they couldn't not kill us... but they _wanted_ us to be here.

I looked slowly upward to the cloud that had formed a perfect and still sphere now and saw that the bottom was beginning to distort, like the darkness was reaching down toward the golden ring.

"We need to get out of here!" I screamed back, turning to the others. I nearly screamed in horror at the sight of Garurumon coming straight for me, but it was only a shock. He wouldn't harm me obviously. "Taichi!" I screamed, but he couldn't hear me now. I could see Gomamon and Tentomon being pulled away by their partners and I could see Gennai stepping forward.

"You are the seed bearer?" He asked, more for genuine clarification than anything else.

"You could say that," Gaia replied.

"I cannot let you survive," Gennai growled.

"Bite me," Gaia laughed. She moved forward quickly and slammed a fist into Gennai's chest, knocking him backward. She then turned toward Yamato and saw that I was close now, with Garurumon. A horrendous smile crept across her face as she realized she had two complete sets now.

"Garurumon _go_!" I ordered, understanding he was much faster than I was. " _Go!"_

But it was too late. Gaia had landed next to us and a thick barrier of vines had surrounded us, enveloping us in complete darkness for a moment until Gaia formed six small suns that lit the space well.

"Sora?"

It was only now that Biyomon and Yamato had actually seen me at all, even with the yelling. I saw the fear in Yamato's eyes at the prospect of Garurumon and I joining them in their capture, but I was not yet restrained. I could still help. Garurumon and I could save them.

Gaia knew that though, and her first action was to take out Garurumon. He saw her coming and he breathed intense heat toward her oncoming vines, turning them to ash. He then turned and without hesitation shot more fire toward the high walls around us. He was trying to escape.

"Howling Blaster!" he cried again, sending more flames to the outer vines. They turned to ash as well, but there were more layers beyond them and they quickly repaired themselves.

Gaia laughed and brushed her hair behind her ears. "Idiot," she scoffed. "You're not _strong_ enough." On the word strong she lunged forward and a series of blunt edged vines hit Garurumon from every angle, wrapping around his torso and squeezing tightly.

I moved as fast as I could, crying out in fear as I clawed at the vines, trying to keep him safe.

A moment later I grunted in pain as something hit me straight in the chest.

I fell back and slammed against the squishy vines below me. I was struggling to my feet to help Garurumon but by the time I was standing again the vines were untangling themselves from Gabumon's form. He was breathing heavily, but was alright.

For now.

Gaia had the Crests of Love and Friendship tangled up inside this bulb shaped prison and she _knew_ it. She was entirely aware of all decisions she made and she had every intention to hand the Crests over to Apocalymon. I did not yet know why, but I knew it was not in our favour.

"Gaia," I ordered, turning to her, "Let them go."

Gaia laughed again. "I hardly see any reason that you should be calling the shots my dear."

"Sora!" Biyomon cried out, tugging at her confines. She looked wounded and I was scared to look at her. It seemed as if she had tried to escape and Gaia had kept her still. "You need to worry about _yourself_. Save Gabumon too! Then we'll be fine! She needs both halves of the Crests."

I knew that already, but it was true that if Gabumon and I could get out then Yamato and Biyomon would both be safe.

I turned to him, but Gaia saw my plan a mile away. It didn't hurt that Biyomon had actually told her the plan though. Gabumon's ankles were surrounded in vines and he was being dragged across the floor toward Gaia.

I jumped forward, pinning the vines down and I began scratching at them and trying to tear them apart, but Gaia was strong and she was pulling me along too and the vines were too thick. And then I had been hit again, this time slamming into the wall behind the two of us.

The wind had been knocked out of me and I began wheezing, desperate for air.

Gaia stepped toward Yamato and Biyomon and I was struggling against my body's warnings to stay still, trying to get to her. But when she looked up and a small beam of faint light came from above I knew she was looking out of her bubble to Apocalymon. "My dear Chaos. I bring to you two of the Crests. Love and Friendship. With their power, you will be granted balance."

"Just because he _has_ the Crests, doesn't mean he has the power!" Gabumon snapped. I wished I was as feisty as he was, but my air was still choked off. Gaia turned toward Gabumon angry that he still thought arguing was a good idea.

"Why do you all keep _saying_ that?" she snapped.

"Because it's the truth," Gabumon insisted. "The Crests are powerful, but they are only activated by a password. That password is simply a _feeling_. We have to truly understand and experience the meaning behind the Crest to access its power." Gaia took a step toward Gabumon and I noticed the anger in her stiff movements. "Sure, other digimon have used the Crests, like Syakomon or Drimogemon, but they had the ability to _feel_. You blocked all of that out when you got rid of your heart. You can't feel love or friendship!"

Gaia shrieked loudly and startled me into action. She was pacing toward Gabumon now and I realized this was my only chance to move. I began crawling toward Biyomon and Yamato as quietly as I could in the dim light that barely lit up the damp prison of vines.

I held a finger to my lips the moment Biyomon saw me because I didn't suspect she would immediately think to be quiet with her love of talking. She nodded and looked worriedly over to Gaia. I was at her side a moment later, taking in the warmth radiating off of her as I looked to the tangle of vines that held her still.

My heart dropped but did not stop slamming against my chest. I could barely hear Gaia and Gabumon anymore over the sound of constant banging. I was so sure the others could hear my heartbeat now too.

"The only friend—the only _love_ you ever had—was betrayed by you, Gaia," Gabumon was saying. "You're pathetic!"

"Sora," Yamato said in a voice so quiet I had scarcely heard him. I looked over and found that his arms were bound just as tight as Biyomon's. I began trying at his instead, hoping to find some loose threads, but that wasn't what he wanted me for. "You need to get out of here," he said seriously. "You need to go. Gabumon is distracting her for _you_. Not for us. You need to leave. _You_ need to survive."

I found myself looking directly into his eyes at that moment, "I'm not leaving without you, Yamato," I promised him, even if it wasn't what he wanted to hear. "I'm not running. I'm not a coward. I'm not going to let her _win_. I'm going to get out of here, but so are you. So are the others. I'm not going to let her take you away from me."

Yamato blushed but shook off the feeling and returned to his previous stance. "Sora, you don't understand. I love you, and that's why I need you to go."

I dropped my hands and looked at him, feeling almost angry—which wasn't too surprising when it came to Yamato. "And _I_ love _you_ ," I said flatly. "That's why I _have_ to stay."

Yamato stopped all protesting as he stared at me a moment longer, but our conversation had been a mistake. Gaia rounded on us in the middle of Gabumon's rants and she let out a cry of anger. She shrieked loudly, kicking backward toward Gabumon where a net of vines pinned him to the wall behind him. She then reached out with both hands and dragged Yamato and Biyomon toward her before sending them to either side of the room.

Both of them cried out and I was already tearing up from the thought of them being in pain because of this wicked woman. I didn't know how much time was left until Apocalymon came for us, but when I looked up I saw that the faint light from above was slowly diminishing as his darkness surrounded us.

There was a bang from the right and I knew that our friends were trying to get to us inside the bulb, but it was no use. I knew that.

I slowly stood, standing over top of the diamond shaped crater, and looked toward Gaia whose head was tilted to the side in either anger or insanity. "I've said it once, and I'll say it again," she snarled. "The only reason I need you damned Crest bearers is for my own powers. I am already stronger than _all_. I do not _need_ more power. Without the Digidestined who would thwart me? _No one_. I do not need more power, and because of your _stupid_ attempts to save your friends, I am going to kill one of them!"

"Don't!" I shouted stupidly as if it might convince her to change her mind. Gaia's lips curled into a smile and I hated that my desperation was appeasing her. "If you kill the Crest bearer, another will be born and the Crest will pass on!"

"What?" Gaia asked, straightening her posture slightly.

"It's called the Cycle of the Crests," I explained. "I am not the only person in the world to know or to feel love. I promise you, that if you kill Biyomon, the Crest will find someone knew. If you kill Yamato, another child will come to take his place. The Crests will always live on."

"But it will be easier to win against children," Gaia said, more to herself than anything else. She smiled, "Thank you, my dear. What a lovely plan." I bit my lip _hard_. I had to somehow change her mind—convince her not to kill my friends. I looked to Biyomon, desperate for her to evolve and break free, but it didn't seem to be an option with how battered she was. I looked to Yamato for ideas, but he was looking to me in that same way he had been before. He wanted me to _run_.

I would never leave them.

"You may choose which you would like to see die," Gaia decided. "Then I shall kill you, and then the third." She smiled again. "Make your choice."

"You're a sick woman," I snapped, angry that Gaia thought she had any right to take another's life for no real reason. I couldn't confine my anger which had dragged sadness and a frantic sort of panic along with it. My entire mind and body were buzzing, trying to solve the riddle that was placed in front of me. It was an ultimatum. Koushiro learned the hard way that picking one love over another was never easy and there was no real way to be happy with either result.

I couldn't pick _either_.

Despite what they were telling me.

"Sora, you have to pick me!" Biyomon cried out. "My data will be here on Earth and fourteen years from now, when the worlds combine, I'll come back! I'll be okay! Let _me_ die!"

"That's stupid," Yamato snapped. "Just pick me!"

"Shut up!" I snapped at both of them. "I'm picking _me_." Both of them _did_ silence themselves, but not in the way I had hoped they would. Both were at a loss of words, unsure how to change my mind. "Gaia, I want you to kill _me_ first."

Gaia seemed genuinely confused now, tilting her head once more. "And why on Earth would you want me to do that?"

"The very fact that you can't understand is the reason I know the Crests will never work for you," I told her sharply. "You're useless, Gaia. You're a liar, and you're pathetic. And you're _alone_. You have no friends. You have no love. You're heartless and lifeless."

Gaia's nostrils flared. "And so shall you be," Gaia growled.

"I'd like to see you try," I said, sounding much more confident than my shaking hands might express. I had died once before—maybe, sort of. I didn't really know anymore. But I wasn't going to let something as simple as death stop me.

Gaia was still for a moment, but I knew it would not last, and I prepared myself as well. I ground my teeth together as I looked back into Gaia's dark, twisted eyes that had once held beauty but now only showed insanity.

Then, all at once, she had moved. A sharpened vine was coming my way, but I moved just as fast. I reached into my bag and pulled out the gun Jou had given me, firing once. Twice. Three times. Each bullet sank into Gaia's forehead, but I could not stop. I continued firing until Gaia fell to a heap on the ground, and then I continued even further until finally there was nothing left to fire.

The vines keeping Gabumon, Biyomon and Yamato restrained fell away and they all crashed down to the vine flooring. Instinctively I dropped the gun and ran toward Yamato, sliding to a stop by his side as I fell to my knees. He was shaky and scared, but he looked to me, impressed.

Then he turned his head sharply to the ground. "Biyomon?"

"Biyomon," I repeated, checking her as well. She was already by Gabumon's side, checking on him instead. "She's okay." I was relieved to see it, but my eyes returned to Yamato. "Are you?"

He nodded but otherwise ignored my question. "Sora, you didn't go."

I smiled and shook my head. "Of course I didn't." He looked to me like I was insane, because he had been so persistent about me leaving him behind. His eyes fell to the ground because he wasn't sure how to reply. "Why would I leave you here when you've waited so long for me to come around?" Yamato was surprised when he looked back to me and I leaned in to kiss him. He was still shocked for a moment as I wrapped my arms around his neck and soon his own arms were around my waste.

" _Love_..."

I pulled away from Yamato sharply and looked to Gaia who was pulling herself to her feet, limp and shaky. She looked up through her strings of hair with wide open eyes filled with horror and anger. I could still see a bullet hole on her forehead where surely blood _should_ have come from. Gaia's mouth hung open in anger and her lip was quivering as she spoke. "Love, is not real... it cannot be real."

"Why," Yamato asked, "because, if it was real, that would mean people have other feelings too? Would it mean that you have harmed and killed and tortured _real_ people with _real_ feelings? Are you finally seeing why everything you've done is _wrong_?"

Gaia did not reply and instead simply stared toward Yamato with a blank expression. My eyes flicked toward the hole in the top of the bulb for a moment because the light had fully gone out. Apocalymon was here now.

"All those people you hurt over the years," Yamato said, sounding angrier than I had ever heard him. "They felt every bit of that and you never even _knew_. You're a _sociopath_."

Gaia's anger came through in that moment and she lunged forward, only to be hit from behind by two blasts of colourful fire.

"Blue Blaster!"

"Spiral Twister!"

Gaia turned to the digimon in a rage, and then raced toward them, her matted hair swinging behind her as she moved swiftly.

Yamato was rushing after her, but I thought of a different idea. I rushed toward the golden ring and lifted one end of a thick vine as Yamato slammed into Gaia's side, knocking her toward me. I pulled sharply on the vine and she tripped, landing in the center ring where Apocalymon's darkness shot down like a billowing tower of smoke to devour her. I screamed, sliding away as quickly as I could, struggling to get to my feet, but it was no use because the darkness was spreading now.

But as Gaia's screams of pain filled the air, the vines around us all fell limp as well, letting light pour in from all sides. I felt blinded momentarily but I couldn't let that slow me down. Nothing could stop us now. We had to keep moving.

Yamato's arms were under my own and he hoisted me to my feet as we turned to run, with Biyomon and Gabumon right behind.

Ahead I could see them all. Taichi, Koushiro, Gennai, Agumon, Palmon, Mimi, Jou, Gomamon, Tentomon, Takeru, Patamon, Hikari and Gatomon. All of them were staring in horror as the darkness shot out toward us, but that was the last thing I saw because a moment later there was only blackness.

 **Next on Digimon Adventure 09:** Our leaders will take us home in the final true chapter of the story, with Taichi, Daisuke and Hikari teaming up in one last ditch effort to save the world!


	5. On Top Of The World

**Y/N:** So, I wrote both Daisuke and Taichi for this chapter. Daisuke's was far easier of the two, because it wasn't nearly as long. It took days to write Taichi's, because I didn't want to rush the ending. I was afraid to hurry any of it along, because there's something so _final_ about it. It was the last fight I thought I would be writing—later proved to be wrong when we added Rei's into chapter 79 of 08—and I wanted it to be good. I hope it turned out that way, but I guess you'll have to be the judge of that.

 **U/N:** So Kari's chapter is kind of a direct continuation of where she left off emotionally in her previous chapter (where she fights with Gaia and Yorokobi) so that was nice because her development has definitely been the slowest, but it's finally time to actually finish where we've been guiding her. As for the rest of the chapter, I hope it's satisfactory, though I guess that's all open to interpretation. Anyway, enjoy :D

 **Title: Digimon Adventure 09: Free**

 **By: YukiraKing and UrazamayKing**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Digimon or its characters.**

 **Tri-pocalypse**

 **Chapter 05: On Top Of The World**

 ** _Daisuke Motomiya:_**

Veemon was back on his feet— _UlforceVeedramon_ was anyway. Wormmon wasn't quite as lucky. He was beaten pretty badly. I wished we could have had GrandisKuwagamon on our team, but there wasn't anything we could do about it, and I wasn't about to _tell_ Wormmon, because I didn't want him to feel guilty. He was in pain, and he'd done his best. He'd lasted longer against Bagramon than Veemon had, and I wanted him to be proud of his accomplishments—even if he was seriously dwelling on his lack of prowess while swimming.

I'd give him lessons if we got out of this, to make him feel more confident. I made a mental note of it and everything. It was giving me something to do other than roll my eyes at the screaming people and the traumatized children.

Hadn't they ever seen super heroes before?

That's what our partners were. They were freaking super heroes, not monsters that would hide under their beds and eat them or something. These guys—BurstValkyriemon, Blastmon, UlforceVeedramon and Wormmon—were literally on their way to save the world. No. Not just _the_ world. They were going to save _all_ of them. Our friends would fight for everyone to have the chance to keep going, even if they weren't appreciated.

There was a bossy looking man who was staring in total horror as his wife let out a terrified scream. I stuck my tongue out at them and Miyako glared, waving them off. "Oh boo hoo," she rolled her eyes. When she turned to me I grinned stupidly and she smiled back.

"Guys," Ken scolded us.

"Right," Miyako nodded, and together we set off again, doing our best to ignore the people we passed by.

I couldn't understand how humans could hate the digimon. Some people had reasons to fear them, but fear and hatred were not mutually exclusive emotions. You could be nervous about a bear without wanting it dead. It was just mind boggling to me that humans could hate and fear digimon when there were so many more deserving candidates out there. Arnold was a prime example, so was Moretsuna, and Sigma. We were racing towards at least one other now: Apocalymon. Technically, he was a digimon, but only because he'd been tossed into the Digital World with the digimon when the humans first threw them off the face of the Earth—literally. He became digital just like all the others, but he was actually just half of a whole. He was the second half of Gaia's heart.

Maybe he was exclusively Gaia's heart, and Yggdrasil was Terra's.

I didn't really understand all of it. I didn't have a whole lot of time to process all the information. I was trapped in a fight-or-flight situation. Adrenaline was constantly pumping through me, and I could only look forward. If I paused for even a second horror sank in, and chilled me to the bone. It was much better to focus on being angry, and wanting to find justice.

There wasn't any _time_ for me to panic about everything that Apocalymon had done in the past. It just made my blood simultaneously boil and run cold. I was confused, and I was angry, and I felt violated, on behalf of myself and my son, but mostly for my wife. He'd been living inside of her for years. I hadn't exactly taken the time to do the math. I didn't know how long it had been, but the length of time didn't matter. _Any_ amount of time was too much.

I'd thought that defeating Fanglongmon would give Kurayami her freedom, but then we found out that the Devil had her mother. He was defeated too, but she still wasn't free because Yggdrasil had a daughter cursed to live a life exclusively made from sorrow, and by doing so, he cursed the future generations with madness and depression. Kurayami's mother fell victim to it, and had killed her son before Kurayami was born, and Kurayami was terrified, living with the knowledge that she was next.

But then we'd beat Akumu too, and the curse was broken. I really thought she'd finally caught a break. Her darkness had been taken by Gaia, but we'd gotten Labramon and all the others back. It wasn't a good trade, but it was one she could live with. I thought she was going to have the chance to be happy. I thought she'd _finally_ be free.

I should've known that it couldn't last.

My wife had some of the worst luck the world had ever seen. I wanted the best for her, and I always did whatever I could, but it never seemed to be enough. I wanted the world for her, but I had to save it first. There was always _one last_ hurdle to jump over. She'd lost far too much on this journey already, and I was afraid of just how long it would take to get her into a good place again, after finding out that she'd been carrying around the darkest of evils in her heart. She had been home to pure chaos, and she hadn't known it.

It was worse, I thought than when Sigma possessed someone. He'd had a code of conduct, despite his evil deeds and horrid motives. He waited for permission before he possessed anybody. He always made his presence known in that way. He wasn't lurking in the furthest reaches of anybody's mind. He wasn't hiding in the shadows, tricking people into a false sense of security. Sigma was a bastard, a horrible menace, but he was at least vocal about it. He made himself known in a big way—almost overly dramatic at all times.

But I could see where Apocalymon got his sneaky, underhanded ways. He _was_ a part of Gaia after all, and she was the worst being I ever had the displeasure of meeting. She'd tricked Kurayami more than once. She'd taken the hearts of our partners. She'd commanded thousands of humans and digimon and Sidhendorians alike, using her mind manipulations. I couldn't tell who was actually supporting her and who was coerced. I didn't _want_ to think that Moretsuna could have been one of her minions. I wanted to believe that he was a wretched man. Kurayami couldn't handle it if he wasn't. She'd taken his life, and if he wasn't actually evil, then Kurayami would think that _she_ was.

And she really wasn't.

Morestuna had taken Grandpa Satoshi away from her. He'd tried to kill Kurayami, and Haruki. He'd almost strangled Miyako, and had chased Sora and Miyako throughout the town. He'd done so many bad things. He hadn't been able to fight Gaia's control, if he'd been under it in the first place. But then, neither could Maugrim.

I didn't know who was evil and who was good. It just really drove home the fact that they weren't completely separate ideals. There were multiple shades of grey, and everyone fit somewhere on that spectrum. I wasn't even sure where I fit in. I wasn't only good. I couldn't be. I'd let Fanglongmon use my body for his own gain, while I was trying to get through to Kurayami. I wanted to save her, but I'd taken a step into the dark side in order to do it. I didn't _want_ to do any of the things I did—and I didn't actually do them, personally, since I'd made Fanglongmon do it—but I'd been responsible for a lot of bad things.

Even Hikari couldn't be firmly planted in the "good" category. She'd made as many mistakes as I'd made over the years. She let Gaia out, and gave her the light. She'd left the gate to the Dark Ocean open once—though the worlds would have become unstable anyway, because of Otamamon and Meiyomon's impromptu move to Earth at the last minute, something no one talked about, including Gennai. If someone as kind and sweet and supportive and loyal as Hikari couldn't be purely good, then what hope was there for the rest of us?

Half of our friends had worked against us at some time or another, but we had all learned to do better. We learned to _be_ better. Our partners brought us closer to the light. But we'd never break out of the grey zone we were trapped in.

And that was alright. I could live with that. I wouldn't want to be the only one in the light, if it meant that I was alone. We could all support each other, and forgive each other of our mistakes. It made being with Kurayami easier too. Unlike her, I'd killed without question or remorse several times. I couldn't even count the times. I couldn't even remember the names of all the digimon I'd taken out.

I was pretty sure that made me worse off than her, no matter what she said. Even if I was sure there were only a couple—three maybe—digimon who Veemon and I had taken out on Earth, so most of our enemies would come back. It was still pretty bad.

But it was comforting too, to know that I would never be as bad as Gaia. If she'd _ever_ been in the ambiguous grey area of morals, at any point in the spectrum, then it was a long, _long_ time ago. It had to be before she'd removed her heart and lost the capability of learning the Crests. It was before she took control of the man she claimed to love, and _continued_ to control until only moments before he died. It was before she married Sigma and became responsible for his descent into madness that led to him being a Great Evil. It was before she gave birth to the four princesses, before they created Fanglongmon and the Sovereigns. It was before Daemon and his sins were freed from their eternal prisons, before Arnold learned to create his abominations—which he could only do because Gaia had made it necessary to have Digidestined, so Willis had met his digimon and wanted to create more friends—and before the Devil had gotten his clutches on Dragomon, or Kanashimi, Kurayami's mother.

I was sure everything we'd ever fought against, every one of the Great Evils, could be connected to her. She was the root of all evil. Literally, her heart was the seed from which Apocalymon grew. She was responsible for Yggdrasil's fall from grace, she was the reason the virus existed, and the reason D'Arcmon and Noriko were dead.

If she'd ever been in that grey area, she wasn't anymore. She was one of the only people I'd ever met that truly deserved the title of evil. And she was teamed up with one of the others.

"He's formed," Ken shouted, looking ahead of us. There were black clouds, with violent flashes of lightning ahead of us. There was an orb of inky blackness in the sky, and I didn't think I _wanted_ to know what it was.

The closer we got, the less people there were running and screaming. I thought it was strange. I thought they had a hell of a lot more motivation to run from _Apocalymon_ than they did running from our friends. Apocalymon looked a lot more frightening than BurstValkyriemon, UlforceVeedramon or Wormmon. Blastmon was kind of a threatening looking guy, but even he wasn't as scary as Apocalymon. Honestly, why weren't the people scared? They were just milling about, minding their own business, as if a world ending digimon wasn't lurking nearby.

Fewer of them were noticing our friends too. It was like they were in a sort of trance. I didn't know whether Gaia was doing this, which kind of freaked me out, because that meant she was close by, or if it was Apocalymon himself. But it was like we didn't exist.

I wondered if that was the reason we didn't read about an Apocalymon attack in history class. Nobody saw it happen. I wasn't particularly thrilled by the concept. I pulled out my digivice. If Gaia _and_ Apocalymon were going to be there, we were definitely going to need more backup. Three super ultimates and a rookie weren't going to be able to fight _two_ enemies.

Gaia was a particularly nasty enemy, because we couldn't kill her.

And we'd have to. She was hell-bent on bringing the worlds to their knees. She wanted complete control and ultimate power. She wasn't being controlled by anyone else. She wasn't redeemable. She was literally heartless, and wasn't capable of feeling guilty for her actions. In her mind, she was entitled to rule, and didn't seem to care if she had millions of subjects, or just a dozen. She would kill anyone that got in her way without batting an eye. There was only one way to end her terror, and I couldn't even bring myself to feel upset about what needed to be done.

I was more _resigned_ to the fact.

I wondered if that darkened my particular shade of grey, but I wasn't too fussed. I was tired of fighting, and she'd brought all of the battles our way. She was responsible for all the chaos and imbalance in the worlds, and she needed to be eliminated if we ever wanted to find true peace.

Not that we'd get to _really_ enjoy it until Ryou managed to find a team of his own and defeat the final Great Evil—which we couldn't even identify.

"Where are they?" I asked aloud, when I couldn't find anyone's signal. The screen sputtered, and then went dark, and my eyes searched for UlforceVeedramon instinctively, just to make sure he was still okay.

"Where's this all coming from?" Miyako wanted to know. She held Ken's hand tightly, and moved towards BurstValkyriemon as smoky wisps extended their reach towards us. The long, black tendrils seemed to be beckoning us forward into the eerie fog that rose ominously from the street, weaving its way out between the cracks in the concrete.

"We need to keep moving," Ken said, squeezing Miyako's hand, and holding Wormmon close to him. Blastmon, I noticed, was standing nearer to Iori, wanting to keep him safe without setting him off on another panic attack.

"They're with Apocalymon," Iori murmured. "They have to be. We would have seen their signals before if they weren't. If Apocalymon can nullify our digivices, then we won't be able to digivolve."

"That means our friends can't either," I summarized. "And I'll bet they weren't as lucky to have super ultimates at their side when they figured that out."

I led them into the black fog. I could hear them behind me, but after entering the fog, I wasn't able to see them anymore. I was following the hollow ache in my chest. I could _feel_ the darkness. I had experience with it. I'd long since associated it with my wife. I thought it was just _her_ , but I was wrong. It was Apocalymon the entire time.

 _Yes._

The deep voice was in my head. UlforceVeedramon would have said something if he'd heard it. He was as hot headed as I was. But since he didn't, I had to assume that Apocalymon was talking directly to me. It freaked me out, and more than a small part of me wanted to be back at the harbour, standing guard over Bagramon, and far, _far_ away from all of this.

 _There is plenty to fear, Daisuke. Your wife has housed me all these years. I have learned the fears and weaknesses of your miserable companions, but it is you that I've learned the most about. I know your dreams, and your nightmares. I know what you wish for your son, and I know how to tear your world apart._

"Leave my son alone!" I shouted, angry with Apocalymon, but also terrified, because he really _could_ know exactly how to take me apart with only words.

"Don't listen to him, Daisuke," UlforceVeedramon told me. He put his hand on my shoulder, and squeezed it. I tried to focus on his touch. He was real. He was tangent. He would protect Haruki. He was a strong and confident fighter. He knew his limits and could surpass all my expectations. He was my best friend, and he loved Haruki almost as much as I did.

 _How quaint_. _He and your son shall perish together then. It's a simple matter. Your wife has provided me with far more power than I could have imagined. I am finally at the pinnacle of my strength. The world will bow before me as it is covered in flames._

"I won't let you do that," I said, desperately. Haruki and Veemon burning because I couldn't protect them was probably the worst thing I'd heard all day. The only thing that could make it worse...

 _She'll be there too. They all will. The world will fall at my feet, and your loved ones will be the main event. Dear Kurayami won't perish though. She will have a place of honour after the service she provided me with. She will take her place as my pet as I spread chaos through the realms. She will do my bidding once more, as she did Fanglongmon's. She is a very obedient servant when she'd undergone the proper training._

"Leave her alone," I said through clenched teeth.

Miyako whimpered, in the darkness, crying out for Apocalymon to leave Mai alone. Ken was at her side, repeating time and time again that he would be with them. They would get back to Mai and they would be a family. Apocalymon _wasn't_ going to hurt their daughter. But his voice was strained. Apocalymon was in his head too. Wormmon was trying to help, but he was tired and small, and his voice was drowned out by Miyako's cries.

Blastmon's rumbling voice was actually quite soothing. It was strong and steady, which was a contrast to the sound coming from Iori—wherever he was. I couldn't find any of them in the darkness. Iori was panicking. I knew he was. I'd heard it not that long ago. I didn't know what memories Apocalymon was digging up for him, but he had a rather large selection in just the past few weeks alone, let alone the rest of his life.

And Iori was a parent too.

I'd known it was dangerous to have Haruki, when EVOLVE started up their "Down With Digimon" campaign, but I hadn't known just _how_ dangerous it could get. I was absolutely horrified with how little I could do to ensure his safety. He wasn't even in the same time as me. I couldn't get to him. I couldn't protect him.

 _You will lose everything, and then, only then, will I kill you, Daisuke Motomiya._

"Daisuke," UlforceVeedramon said. "Don't give in to him. I know you're stronger than that. I just need to find him. If I can find him, I can take him out. Daisuke, we're so much stronger now. He might be more powerful than he once was, but he's not the only one. Look at me! I'm a super ultimate. We couldn't have dreamed about having this much strength at our disposal the last time we faced him. You'd just gotten our crest. You didn't understand it at all. We couldn't digivolve. We were a mess. But we're not anymore. We're a solid team. We've climbed every mountain destiny has put in our path. We can do this. I know, because I believe in you. I believe in _us._ "

 _Would you really send your partner to his death, Daisuke? Surely you know he cannot win. I will rip the crest from his body before I scatter his data in the wind._

"He's unstable, Daisuke," UlforceVeedramon continued. "He's always been only half of a whole—a _third_ of a whole actually. Without Yggdrasil, he's incomplete. He might be more powerful, but the power came at a price. He's pure chaos, and you can't open yourself up to that. You're not the same kid he met all those years ago. You're not using a dictionary definition for a crest anymore. You're stronger than that. Don't let the chaos in. You'll only _add_ to his strength."

"He's unbalanced," I agreed. "But he doesn't want to be. He wants the Crests."

"But he'll have to kill us to get them," UlforceVeedramon said, "and that's just not possible. Now you need to stand your ground, and let me fight him. With BurstValkyriemon and Blastmon at my side, there's no way he can beat us. We'll search him out, and you find the others."

 _They're as good as gone, Daisuke. Their lives flicker like a candle's flame. I am harvesting their Crests as we speak. If you seek them out, you'll only join them in their misery._

He wasn't threatening my son or my wife anymore. He was promising that my friends were in his clutches, and I knew that meant we didn't have time to play his games. His mistake was in letting UlforceVeedramon reassure my confidence, and giving me the exact motivation I needed to follow through on our mission.

I tried to send a message back to Apocalymon, hoping he could hear me, but I wasn't so sure.

 _Hey loser, Gaia's daughters each chose one Holy member of society to bring about peace and a long time ago I thought that duty was finished because Yggdrasil died. But you're just like Yggdrasil, and you made the mistake of letting each of the Holy Three come directly toward you._

 _Here we come_.

"We have to hurry," I said sharply, turning to the others. I didn't know where they were, but I knew they were nearby. "We have to find our friends." A moment later I saw Miyako and Ken's faces melt through the darkness. There was a faint glow from behind where BurstValkyrimon stood and then Iori stepped into view as well. They all nodded to me and instinctively I reached to the goggles hanging around my neck and I pulled them sharply upward until they rested on my forehead. And I knew we were ready.

"Snowflake Formation!" BurstValkyrimon cried, as Blastmon shouted out, "Prism Flash!"

They both began to glow, pushing back the swirling darkness, and leaving us a somewhat clear view of Apocalymon. It was strange to see him again. He looked exactly like he had the last time I had seen him eleven years ago, and yet I hated him so much more. He was on top of his pentagonal box, looking menacing, with tubes and chords that connected him to it. Large claws were attached to long tentacles, which reached out and floated around him. The large ball of black was next to him, and Gaia was on the ground beneath him. She was trying to push herself off the ground, but she wasn't nearly strong enough to do so.

 _I know you, Daisuke. I have watched every moment through your wife's eyes. I have lingered. I have learned. I can offer you greatness, in exchange for a simple Crest._

"I don't need anything else," I said, mostly to remind myself not to let Apocalymon get to me. I was strong. I was confident. Kurayami would never forgive me if I wavered for even a moment. I remembered all the times that Kurayami woke from a nightmare, or the countless times she admitted to feeling like someone was watching her. She wasn't just scared of the shadows, like I'd suspected. She wasn't reliving old painful memories about the haunting in her past. Apocalymon had actually been there the entire time. She had every reason to be afraid, and I would not let her fears get the better of me. I would survive this, and I would beat Apocalymon, if not for the sake of the world, then for the wellbeing and peace of mind of Kurayami.

She was everything to me. Her, Haruki, Veemon and Labramon were my family. They were my life. And I would do anything to make sure I wouldn't lose them.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked my friends.

"We're fine," Ken said, meaning both him and Miyako, who was looking a little traumatized, but seemed a _bit_ happier now that we weren't surrounded by the black fog anymore. Iori didn't say anything, but he didn't look _horrible_ , so I figured that was a win for us.

"CHARGE!" UlforceVeedramon ordered, as he flew towards Apocalymon. BurstValkyrimon and Blastmon followed right behind him. Wormmon jumped out of the crook of Ken's elbow and positioned himself between us and Apocalymon, ready to defend us, despite his pain. He looked determined enough that I thought he might've digivolved if the digivices were working properly, _just_ so that he could join the others in the attack.

"Diamond Machine Gun!" Blastmon called, shooting enormous diamond chunks at Apocalymon. His attack was followed quickly by BurstValkyrimon's "Ice Thrust!" which consisted of icicles, the likes of which I'd only seen Winter and Gaia use before, flying through the air like frozen arrows. UlforceVeedramon contributed with his Ulforce V Saber.

"Shokushu Kougeki!" Apocalymon called speaking aloud at last. His long tentacle, clawed arms flew through the air towards UlforceVeedramon and the others. Blastmon wasn't quick enough to dodge, but he was sturdy enough to catch the tentacle that came for him. BurstValkyrimon and UlforceVeedramon ducked under the tentacles that were headed for them. Blastmon pulled hard on the one he caught, catching Apocalymon off guard, which left him open for attack.

Each of our three friends tore—or sliced—one of the tentacles from his body. He was already unbalanced, and the tears in his skin only allowed for more darkness to ooze into the world. BurstValkyrimon, however, used his Snowflake Formation, and his Ice Thrust together, purifying the darkness, and pinning the gashes closed. Apocalymon roared in anger—not pain—and sent more tentacles towards our partners. They attacked again, but Apocalymon grew wise after their first success, and fortified his skin with metal.

"It's like Yggdrasil all over again," Iori said, shaking his head.

"It makes sense," Ken pointed out. "They're the two sides of her heart. They _should_ have some similarities."

"Couldn't they have a less frustrating one though?" I wanted to know. Miyako was crying. I thought it was worry for her partner at first, but it didn't take long for me to realize she was looking up at the black orb in the sky. I stared at it too, wondering what was freaking her out, and I realized that something was moving inside of it. More than one something. "Is that?"

"I think it is," Miyako said, still crying. "How do we get them out?"

"You don't," Gaia said. She was walking towards us. I cursed myself for not paying attention. She might've been hurt, but she couldn't die before Apocalymon. It was impossible. She was going to stay a threat. "You'll be dead before you get that chance."

"You don't want our Crests?" Wormmon asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"I don't need them. I'd prefer a world without you in it," she said simply with a malicious smile.

"But Apocalymon wants—" Wormmon tried to say.

"Who cares what he wants!" Gaia screamed. "The world will be mine. I've waited long enough. I've worked hard enough. It's my turn to shine. I. Am. The. Queen!"

"The only aid you have on your quest for dominance is Apocalymon," Wormmon said. "Everyone else has been defeated. He's all you've got and he wants something completely different than what you want. You're plan is in shambles. He wants to end the world, and you want to rule it. You're already at war with one another, and you don't seem to be able to control _him_ like you did everyone else."

"Doesn't matter," she said dismissively. "I'll kill you all, and then I won't _need_ him. No one will be able to defeat me once you're gone. I'll be safe, and in charge, and he will be irrelevant."

"You're going to kill your own heart?" Wormmon said, sounding horrified.

"You saw how long Sigma lasted without one," she said. "I'll remain immortal, and rule forever with an iron fist. Everyone wins."

"No," I said quickly. "No, only _you_ win in that situation."

"I _am_ all that matters," Gaia said, before she lunged at us.

Ken stepped in front of Miyako, and Iori actually backed away, so I stepped in to join Ken and Wormmon in the fight. I knew she was strong, I'd heard everyone say it, but knowing it and experiencing it were very different things. When she backhanded me across the face, I literally spun in a circle before I fell to the ground. Pain exploded on my jaw and I backed away, trying to get to my feet _away_ from her swinging arms. I glanced up and saw Apocalymon duelling with UlforceVeedramon. BurstValkyrimon had flown down to fight Gaia, while Blastmon was trying to break through the metal barriers around the tentacles so that we could beat Apocalymon.

UlforceVeedramon was thrown to the ground, and landed next to Blastmon. The two looked at each other, and nodded. I couldn't hear them, but I was pretty sure they'd come up with a plan. Together they launched themselves at the large pentagonal box that created the base for Apocalymon. With their dual super ultimate strength, they managed the tiniest of cracks.

It was like déjà vu, only less impressive. Apocalymon didn't flee as Yggdrasil had, he didn't even seem to notice what had happened. But Wormmon did. He started glowing, and soon GrandisKuwagamon was standing in front of Gaia, next to BurstValkyrimon. He looked a little worse for wear, but he was ready to fight.

"Daisuke," Ken called. "It worked last time, didn't it?"

"Yeah," I said, catching on pretty easily. If Apocalymon was determined to not notice pain or fear the way Yggdrasil had, then we would _make_ him notice it, by breaking out the big guns—well, the _bigger_ guns.

"It's time to digivolve!" Ken and I shouted together. Our digimon started glowing, as my digivice, which had started working once more, glowed magenta, and Ken's glowed peach.

" **FutureUlforceVeedramon digivolve to...** "

" **GrandisKuwagamon digivolve to...** "

" **DoruGoramon!** "

And with DoruGoramon on our side, maybe Gaia and Apocalymon had a reason to start feeling fear. At the very least, DoruGoramon would be able to distract Apocalymon so that someone could find a way to free our friends. We could really use their help right about then.

"Gaia, stop this!" Miyako protested. I didn't see how she could possibly think it was going to work. Gaia was legitimately dedicated to her quest, and no amount of pleading was going to change her mind. It was too late for that. "Think things through! If you're going to turn on Apocalymon, on your own heart, then _why_ are you letting him absorb the Crests?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gaia said, attacking BurstValkyrimon with her vines and brute strength.

"I do," I said, realizing what Miyako was getting at. It might buy our friends more time at the very least. "You can't use the Crests because you're a heartless megalomaniac, but Apocalymon _is_ your heart. He's fully capable of using the Crests, and he _will_. He'll overthrow you and destroy the worlds. You've just sealed your fate. He's going to beat you."

"No," Gaia grunted, throwing BurstValkyrimon away from her, "he won't." She bent her knees, so that she was crouching to the ground, and then she launched herself into the air, directly at the orb of darkness.

"That wasn't what I wanted," Miyako moaned, worriedly. Gaia sank into the darkness, and all I could think was that we'd signed our friends' death warrants while trying to save them.

 ** _Hikari Yagami:_**

It was so strange.

One minute I had been clawing and scratching at the vines that held my friends and the next minute they were freed, only for all of us to be drowning in the darkness.

I couldn't see anything.

I couldn't _feel_ anything.

I was sure I had died. I was alone, in the darkness. Alone and suffering as all positivity and optimism slipped out of me. I could feel happiness leaving my chest. I could sense the traces of love creeping from my heart. I could almost hear the laughter that I knew was now long gone.

At first I had tried to fight it, like I knew I should. I had tried to ignore Apocalymon's power, as if pretending it didn't exist would make it so. But it had not worked. His voice was impossible to ignore. His presence was so obvious and so _loud_ that I could hardly bring myself to think of anything else.

 _The light always burns out eventually._

He would say things like that and I wanted them to mean nothing. I wanted them to be stupid villainous one-liners. And I wanted to retort with a clever one of my own. But I couldn't. I wasn't Mimi. I was sure she was fighting back with spunk. I wasn't Koushiro who could outsmart Apocalymon with the knowledge of the Crests. I was just here, floating in the darkness and letting Apocalymon do away with me.

 _Kurayami's place by my side is set in stone, but perhaps there is room for another_.

My stomach twisted sharply and I felt sick. I wished for a moment I could communicate with Mari or Michael. There had to be a sarcastic response here somewhere. Kurayami was strong too. I didn't know why I feared for her. She would not take that place at his side. She would surely do everything she could to survive. So why couldn't I? Why couldn't I fight back?

 _You have done so much to assist me, Hikari. Of course we foresaw this coming, but you know as well as I that the future can change. Look at where we are now._

I couldn't. I could only see darkness. I wondered if that was because I was so deep in his command or if there truly _was_ nothing to look at. Whatever the case may be, I couldn't see anything, even as I moved my head slowly from side to side, feeling as though I was draining all of my own energy to do so.

 _You have saved and assisted Gaia on numerous occasions. Gaia is part of me, and while she will never be gone so long as I exist, perhaps the two of us could work out a sort of deal._

I did not want to be a part of a deal made between the two people I disliked the most. I hated myself for the tears that welled up in my eyes. I wasn't strong. I could not handle this foe simply _speaking_ to me, and I knew that I could never be as valiant or as strong as Iori or Miyako or Kiyoko. They had all put up with torture and _hell_. They stood their ground and maybe they did cry, but they managed to fight through everything until the very end. I wasn't sure I would be able to.

But if I could not fight this and I fell to my knees in surrender to Apocalymon's proposition than I would be the worst member our team had ever seen. I would not have been swayed by the darkness like Daisuke. I would not have been tricked into darkness as Ken or Hideto had been. Even Neo took the opposite path, surrendering to the _light_ and not the darkness. If I gave in to Apocalymon, then who was I? Who was I if not a staple of light and the girl Gennai chose to represent light.

Except that Gennai _hadn't_ selected me as he had the others. I was chosen specifically by Autumn who could not relay her message to me for she was far too busy with her own life. With Michael. Michael's mother had stepped forth and gifted _me_ the power of light. There _had_ to be a reason for that, and I couldn't let her down. I couldn't do that to my friends.

If I could not remove myself from this darkness, there was only one way to succeed. I would have to give up my Crest—but not to Apocalymon as he hoped I would do. When Alice had died her Crest passed on to her closest living relative, which of course was Willis. If I could remove the Light from my body it would pass on to someone else. Potentially Rei. If she could fight in my place where I could do nothing, then it was the better option, surely.

 _That idea will not work, you must give the Crest only to me, or Gaia will prevail._

Apocalymon's voice was trying to sound soothing. But I wouldn't be tricked. I may not have been as strong willed as Sora or Jou, but I knew how to tell when someone was genuinely caring and when they were simply trying to manipulate me. Apocalymon was no better than Gaia, but I had learned from my mistakes.

In the distance I saw a faint glow of colour. It was so distant that it was impossible for me to make it out, but it looked like a faint warm glow. Like a Crest.

I didn't like that I had to now choose which evil I preferred. I especially didn't like that the choice was so easy for me. Apocalymon and Gaia were manipulating one another, and while one wanted balance so she could rule the worlds, the other wanted _Chaos_ so the worlds could crumble. It was the exact opposite to Yggdrasil who wanted every living _creature_ dead so the worlds could live in total Peace. Yggdrasil's Peace would be false, just as Apocalymon's Chaos. There could be no Chaos or Peace without people or digimon—or whoever—to experience it. And that was why I was so vehemently on Gaia's side of this upcoming confrontation.

Yamato had been preaching Gennai's version of peace for a long time, and maybe it was true, and maybe it came from Yggdrasil's own mind before he fell too deep into his own lifelessness. Perhaps true peace would really come from segregation. Perhaps the only way to solve these issues was to put an end to the opponents and truly separate the worlds without anyone to stand in our way.

But I didn't believe that was true.

Segregation was fuelled by hatred, just as Gaia was. Hatred burned just as brightly as any of the crests but simply in its opposite. Fear. Hostility. Ignorance. Deceit. Disloyalty. Despair. Cruelty. Enervation. Dishonesty. Doubt. All of these opposites were felt by Gaia, and segregating the worlds as we had been asked to do was only going to assist this darkness along its path.

Would Takeru ever be able to forgive me if I broke our vow and slipped into the darkness? There were so few of us left that had not taken a stroll through the darker parts of the forest, and even if I had created something as horrible as I had in the Land of Dreams, I had never willingly walked with darkness. I could not break Takeru's trust by letting the darkness in.

But was this really darkness?

 _The others are slowly coming around, Hikari. It is up to you now to ensure that Gaia does not rule over all that you love_.

The Darkness could not be Chaos because Kurayami would not have been able to evolve her partner if it was. She was not chaotic. She was in love and she was happy and she had a beautiful baby boy. Haruki was many things, but he certainly was not chaos. And if anyone knew that Light wasn't Peace it was me. My life hadn't been as hard as some of my friends, but peaceful was a word I had never thought to describe it with. Peace and Chaos were entirely separate entities to Light and Darkness. Both Kura's Crest and my own sat helpfully in the middle of the spectrum, balancing out those two extremes.

 _Listen to me, Hikari_.

Apocalymon's voice was growing more persistent now that I wasn't paying nearly as much attention to him as I had been. But it was just so hard to care what he had to say now. I realized that I was not drowning in darkness, because Apocalymon had none of that at his disposal. This was simply Chaos, and giving in to the _Chaos_ was far worse than swimming in the darkness.

Taichi was always the brave one, he was always the strong and heroic one. He was _my_ hero, anyway.

But I wasn't Taichi. I wasn't courageous to a fault. I wasn't Sora or Yamato, dedicating my life to the bonds between others. I wasn't Mimi, Jou or Neo or even Ryou, so caught up on honesty and truth. I wasn't fighting to be honourable like Iori or Miyako, and my purpose wasn't to be kind or modest like Ken, Daisuke and Hideto. Maybe I wasn't as strong willed as Michael, or as intelligent as Koushiro. Maybe I couldn't fight back as readily as Mari or Kiyoko.

But I did have something that none of them had.

I had my _Light._

I pushed through the exhaustion I felt and found that my arms moved quite freely through the blackness around me. It took a few tries, but after a moment I was swimming. There was a faint rumble in the back of my mind and I knew it was Apocalymon, trying to reach out to me once more, but I wasn't going to listen.

There was a sharp pounding in my chest as my body began to warm slowly from the inside out. As time went on that small flutter of warmth began to completely overtake me. The more I pushed, the safer I felt, and the easier my movements had become.

I was following faint flickering silver light. I didn't know where the source of the light was but it was as good a place as any to start. The blackness around me was swishing and swirling and there seemed to be a constant humming sound around me, but I was ignoring that just as I was Apocalymon.

When I came to the faint light I found that it was Gomamon and his eyes were firmly shut. I wrapped my arms around him and began whispering encouragements to him, but he showed no signs of hearing me. "Gomamon," I insisted, "fight him. You can do it."

Gomamon did not move, and when I tried to pull him along with me I found that he was stuck in place. A few feet away I spotted Biyomon, but when I pulled on her she was the same. Unable to move. Frustration coursed through me quickly like the flood gates had opened and suddenly I felt weak again and Apocalymon's voice hit me like a ton of bricks.

 _Hikari!_

He had barked my name loudly, but it was enough to startle me back into a relative calmness. I had to stay relaxed and determined or he would work his way back into my mind.

Later I found Koushiro whose Crest was simply not glowing in the slightest. His face was screwed up in anger and I realized just how tense and angry he really was. He hadn't understood his need to be calm. I reached out to touch him but wished I hadn't.

Like a bolt of electricity blasting through my mind, I saw flashes of what I thought Koushiro might be experiencing. Apocalymon was treating him to his own personal nightmare.

I swallowed thickly and knew I had to work quickly to put an end to all of this. I was unsure of where exactly the exit to a sea of blackness might be, and could see only a couple feet ahead of me at any given moment. I found myself spinning, searching and pleading for an exit. There had to be a way to free not only myself but also Koushiro, Gomamon, Biyomon and the others who I was sure had to be here as well.

And then I saw the flash of orange light.

 _Taichi_.

I was panicking instantly, afraid that he or Agumon were giving up their Crest to Apocalymon to save themselves from whatever torment he was putting them through. The light vanished as quickly as it had come, but I had seen where it had originated from. I was swimming through my thick and foggy surroundings, aiming for the light. I was desperate to save Taichi, but suddenly there was something shooting upward from beneath me, blocking my path.

It was Gaia.

She was moving in what seemed to be slow motion as she moved upward but I knew it was only my mind, unable to register what I was seeing that was slowing reality down. She was right in front of me, her eyes wide with excitement and her mouth curled into a wicked sort of grin.

"There's my little ball of sunshine," Gaia said in a cool and calculated way. There was a small pause before her hand lunged toward me like a bullet. I used my own arms to block her and felt her open palm against my forearms, and the pain shot through me like tiny bolts of electricity. I took only a moment to test my wrist to see if my arms had broken, but then caught sight of Gaia coming for me once more.

I tried to spin out of the way but I felt her hand clench around my arm and with her great strength, she pulled me back. I was sliding through the fog, unable to stop myself until I bumped into something. I looked back and found Koushiro again. I felt bad for what I was about to do, but I was sure he would understand. I readied myself and then kicked off of his body, soaring toward where I had seen the Crest of Courage.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Gaia was back and all at once her hands were around my neck.

I was gasping for air, even though I was sure there was none to breathe in, and began tugging on her fingers, trying to escape. When I locked eyes with Gaia, for even just the one moment that I had gotten the chance to, I saw a raging fury behind her beautiful irises. Gaia—or Terra, or perhaps both—had lost all sense of dignity that she had once possessed. She had carefully crafted an exact plan to regain control of her empire, and when it had gone as planned she was so pleased that she had not missed anything in her strategizing. But obviously she _had_ , or she would never have let _this_ go on. We had taken out Morganna and broke her army into pieces, and now Astamon was gone too. She had betrayed Maugrim herself however, and that very well could have been her biggest mistake.

So what was she doing now?

"You mustn't live any longer," Gaia said, her voice heavy and thirsty for her own twisted sense of justice. "You must not give your Crest to my newest foe." So she and Apocalymon really _were_ against one another. If Gaia wanted to keep the worlds alive, then I was on her side. I shuddered at the thought.

"I—I won't—I promise!" I choked out. I wasn't lying either. I had just gotten the Crest of Light and my power back in one place, so I was in no rush to get rid of them again, least of all to Apocalymon who planned to use the powers to end the worlds entirely.

Finally all of Gaia's actions had made sense to me. She had taken our partners and formed the prism to keep herself safe and to be sure the powers would never fully be passed over to Apocalymon who wanted to end her rule, just as Yggdrasil had. Both halves of her heart knew her goals and neither appreciated what she was doing for different reasons. She had taken my Light and Kura's Darkness to keep Apocalymon in perfect balance, a place he could not escape from. She was doing all she could to rule while suppressing Apocalymon to the best of her ability.

Understanding her point of view and why she chose to act in the ways she had helped me to see through her eyes, but I could not bring myself to entirely stand behind her decisions. It was largely due to her insane need to rule everything. I couldn't let her do that.

"I know you won't let him have it," Gaia said, pressing her fingers harder into the skin of my neck. "The Light will stay safe." I knew then what her goal was, and I didn't need her to clarify. I started fighting _harder_ and swinging _faster_. I needed go get out of her reach. "The Light will once again be _mine_. And I will stop Apocalymon myself!"

"I—I can _help_!" I found myself saying. I hated myself immediately. I couldn't manipulate her like she had done to me. I wasn't going to sink to her level. I wasn't Gaia, the woman who was unable to experience emotions and feel empathy. I was _not_ Gaia. I didn't have to be either. I didn't have to be anyone but _me_. I only had to be Hikari.

"You would help me?" Gaia wondered.

There was a part of me that wanted to keep lying so I could free myself from Gaia, but my conscience won out. I wouldn't lie. I wouldn't need to. I just needed to keep trying. "Not a chance," I gasped, and then Gaia held tighter on my throat and I couldn't breathe at all. If I was going to die here, then at least I could die with the knowledge that I had done what was required of me.

I would be comfortable to die with the Light in my hands because at least that meant that I had kept it as long as I could. The Light needed to be with someone the world could trust. And for once I actually believed that could be me. Maybe I was finally ready for this responsibility.

And then Gaia had released me and everything was glowing brightly.

There was only a brilliant blinding light as my heart sent waves of warmth though every part of my body. The warmth seemed to extend beyond my fingertips and skin as the light shone from my very core.

I saw the pure rage cross over Gaia's face and I knew in that moment that I had ruined her plans. I felt triumphant, but it lasted only a moment, because the rushing wind and the sound of Mimi's screams, louder than everyone else's, overpowered my thoughts as we all began to fall from where we were in the sky.

There were several cries and shouts that surrounded me in that moment and I knew I was supposed to feel afraid as I toppled through the sky, but my mind had gone entirely blank because I caught sight of the horrible man who stood atop his golden throne. It was Apocalymon, and his eyes turned to me and in that moment I only knew of the hatred he felt for me. He knew it had been me who had destroyed his prison, and I couldn't stop glowing, so I wasn't necessarily blending in.

"Fire Tornado!"

I turned sharply toward the sound and found that Gaia was reaching out toward me. Her skin was pulled back and her hair was whipping around wildly, but she was soon washed away by the light that had come from the massive pink dragon that was advancing on the two of us.

With Gaia out of the way, I landed softly on Magnadramon's back and she pulled up sharply, the fur on her belly was surely brushing against the tangled vines that still made up most of the floor of where we were. I caught sight of Daisuke, Iori, Ken and Miyako cheering as I rushed past them and I felt a burst of adrenaline from within. Daisuke reached up and I released Magnadramon's fur with my left hand, stretching down to him and our hands clapped together in a high five as we soared past.

When Magnadramon had finally righted herself I was given a much more detailed view of what was going on. I saw Eaglemon holding Jou and Sora while Lotosmon held Mimi in her arms. Koushiro was riding on the back of ZeedGarurumon and Yamato and Takeru had both been caught by Goldramon who was flying next to VictoryGreymon, but he had a different goal. I saw him coming my way with Taichi in his arms and when he rushed overhead my brother landed behind me.

"What's up?" Taichi asked with a big grin on his face. I laughed, but knew the question had been rhetorical and I turned to watch the fight as Magnadramon shot forward.

I caught sight of DoruGoramon standing by two digimon I didn't recognize, but at least I could tell they had to be Armadillomon and Hawkmon. Dorugoramon put everything he had into a terrifying strike known as "Brave Metal" and he was moving at high speeds around Apocalymon's shell, trying to dent the outer golden layers. The large diamond coated digimon had his big hands wrapped around the lowest point of the throne, preventing Apocalymon from moving while the Valkyrimon-like digimon used a beautiful staff to fight against the body of Apocalymon.

They weren't alone anymore though. We were all here to help.

"Mystic Beak!" Eaglemon shouted, sending a wave of heated energy toward Apocalymon as Lotosmon tossed Mimi toward Sora and Jou who still sat on Eaglemon's back.

Lotosmon then turned toward Apocalymon herself and raised her serpentine staff and sang beautifully, "Serpent Ruin!" Dark energy joined Eaglemon's light as they spiralled together, aimed toward Apocalymon.

"Zeed Cannon!" ZeedGarurumon bellowed, nearly knocking Koushiro off his back in the force the cannon created.

"Gold Flame!" Goldramon was finally able to use his attack, since his first arrival hadn't lasted long thanks to Mimi's time travelling idea. And the flame he shot out joined together with ZeedGarurumon's energy, and now it was our turn.

Magnadramon let out a shriek of vigor and then cried out, "Dragon Fire!" And the energy was accumulating above us, preparing to strike as VictoryGreymon readied our last attack.

"Trident Gaia!" he declared, transforming his sword into three blades on each hand, much like WarGreymon, and then shot his intensified energy along with Magnadramon's bolt and all at once, the energy from all of our partners blasted through the air toward Apocalymon. All twelve of us were fighting as one now, and I knew there was no way he could stand the blasts. He couldn't be _that_ strong.

We were going to win.

" _Enough_!" Apocalymon shouted, throwing his hands out. He smacked Valkyrimon in the side and he was thrown backward as a wave of energy erupted from Apocalymon himself.

Taichi saw what was going to happen before I had gotten a chance to understand why Apocalymon looked so smug. Taichi's arms were around me quickly and then I felt him tug at me, and then we were sliding down the back of Magnadramon until Taichi deemed us close enough to the ground and then he jumped. My mind was spinning as the black wave of energy washed over all of our allies, and then over Taichi and I as well as we landed near Miyako and Ken.

I groaned and shuddered all at once, begging my body to recover faster so I could find Gatomon.

I felt Miyako pulling me up and she hugged me close to her as we all turned to the fight. Only, it was no longer much of a fight.

Taichi rushed past me, once again understanding what he was seeing before I could do so myself.

He pulled Gatomon into his arms and Ken was gone next, leaving Miyako and I behind as he hurried toward Hawkmon. Daisuke had both Wormmon and Veemon in his arms and Koushiro was lying still near Gabumon, Yamato and Takeru. Patamon was pulling himself to his feet but he was obviously weakened. Gomamon and Palmon looked entirely out for the count and Biyomon and Tentomon were being guarded by Jou who had somehow managed fewer injuries than either Sora or Mimi who were with the digimon. Iori was on the ground next to his own fallen partner, but his eyes were following Agumon as he limped toward Apocalymon.

Surely he wasn't going to continue fighting. Not now.

A horrible scream distracted me and I looked up to Gaia who was leaping toward the second half of her heart, a crazed look on her face. Miyako's grip tightened around me, but I pulled loose, desperate to catch Taichi before he moved too close to Gaia or Apocalymon.

I never removed my eyes from the woman as she soared through the air, ready to kill her own Chaos. Unfortunately for Gaia, Apocalymon caught sight of her and he extended his arm, catching her with his long fingers wrapped around her delicate face. Her determined scream transformed into a plea for help and I felt bad for her. I genuinely felt terrible for the situation Gaia was in, even if I did not want to see her succeed.

"I'm so confused," Taichi muttered. "What... is she doing?"

"She's trying to kill Apocalymon," I explained sharply. Taichi looked to me in surprise, not having noticed me creeping behind him and he passed Gatomon off to me. She looked up with her big blue eyes and tried to express how insane she found Gaia to be. I had to agree.

"You wretched woman!" Apocalymon barked, throwing Gaia aside with little effort. She came hurdling toward the ground, but Apocalymon was not finished with her. "You think you could overpower me when I have spent years absorbing the Chaos created by these idiot children?"

"What does he mean?" Gatomon asked.

"The Great Evils," Taichi cursed. "We killed them without much thought."

"But we have to kill Apocalymon, don't we?" Gatomon wanted to know.

Taichi simply shrugged, unsure of the answer.

"I don't care how strong you _think_ you are!" Gaia shrieked loudly, staggering to her feet as if she had not felt the pain Apocalymon inflicted upon her. "You came from _me_ and you could never be greater than I am now!"

"We're leaving," Taichi snapped, as if I had been acting whiney and childish. I knew he was only stressed, but his tone really instilled the urgency in my mind. He was right. We could leave now if we went quickly.

I stopped Miyako on her way toward Ken and Hawkmon and whispered Taichi's plan to her and she was quick to nod, agreeing to spread the word. Taichi left then, moving toward the others, and trusting me to stay still with Gatomon.

"So," Gatomon said, as we watched Gaia, use all the vines in her reach to strike Apocalymon. "Gaia wanted Apocalymon to have the Crests so the cycle would end and no one would ever be able to challenge her. This was with the understanding that Apocalymon would never be free to do exactly that..."

"That's correct," I nodded.

"So now they're against each other, and we don't want either to win, but we also want neither to lose," she said slowly, catching up to my own thoughts.

"That's exactly right," I confirmed. "If Gaia wins, she is still reigning queen of _everything_ , but if she loses, then Apocalymon destroys the world."

"No he won't," I jumped at the sound of Agumon's voice. He was growling as he watched Gaia struggle to fight Apocalymon. It worried me because I knew we could not defeat _her_ and she could not defeat _him_. He was stronger than she was. How would we be able to stop him from destroying everything? "I won't let him."

"Agumon, don't be foolish," Gatomon said quickly, reaching out to him as he tried to make his way forward. "You can't do it alone."

"Gatomon," Agumon said, shaking his head, "we can't sit back and let them fight our battle. We have to keep trying!"

"I know," she agreed. "And I'm going in there with you!" Agumon smiled and then rushed off toward Apocalymon. I held Gatomon tightly and she knew I didn't want her to go so she stopped struggling, but only for a moment. "Hikari, I promise I'll be careful. You get the others out of here."

I didn't have a chance to object because she was gone, rushing after Agumon who had shifted into Greymon already, breathing fire toward Apocalymon who had simply had enough.

"I do _not_ need your foolish Crests," Apocalymon bellowed, grabbing Greymon's "Nova Blast" and throwing it back toward him where Gatomon helped him get out of the way quickly. "I am not stupid enough to wait around for you to foil my plans." There was a pause, and the entire area was silent, until Apocalymon dashed forward, his entire golden podium and all. He passed through the buildings that surrounded us with ease, crumbling them around him. There were more screams to be heard over the deafening sounds of the crumbling building and Gabumon was pulling a dazed Koushiro out of the way of some rubble as it crashed down around us.

"He's getting away!" Greymon roared, running out, racing after our foe. I couldn't stop myself from running after him, slipping through the alleyway instead. I couldn't let him go alone. Gatomon wasn't the only one who was unwilling to see him fight with no one by his side. I may not have been Taichi, but I still cared about Agumon very much. I couldn't let him take on Apocalymon this way.

I raced through the streets as Apocalymon rose higher and higher until he was hovering over a bypass bridge and Greymon finally came to a stop. A low grumble filled the air.

Taichi appeared next to me and I was relieved to see him. He could do much more by Greymon's side than I ever could.

"We've stopped you before," Greymon shouted loudly. "You really think you'll succeed this time?"

 _Well why not?_ Apocalymon questioned, his voice sounded in my head rather than from his mouth. He was too far away to hear otherwise. _You've given me all the power I would ever need by defeating five of the purest evils. There truly is nothing you can do to stop me. Not anymore._

I was sure Taichi would have a quick retort, but he stayed silent. Greymon too was entirely still, and somehow my legs brought me forward without me willing them to. There was something in the back of my mind screaming at me to remember to keep my hopes up. To be optimistic, and I knew exactly what that something was. "We'll see about that," I said loudly. I heard Taichi make some kind of sound behind me and I pretended he was impressed whether it was true or not. "You don't know what you're talking about. You were just trying to take our Crests from us! The Crests don't exist in a physical form! We've been through this, haven't we? Theta observed the Crests within the hearts of the people, and the digimon and the fairies and _all_ who lived in her realm. The Crests existed long before Takuya and the others made them into solid, tangible forms. You can't _have_ the Crests because they exist _everywhere_ in _every_ living being in every world. The Crests are what hold us together, and just because you want them doesn't mean you can _take_ them for yourself! No matter how hard you try they're always going to be fighting back because Love cannot be defeated. There will always be a spark of Courage in the heart of some child somewhere, and you, of all people, can't turn the Light off for good. You can do your worst, but we all know how this is going to end, Apocalymon."

When Gatomon walked past me, I glanced down, and then back to where she had come from. She was not alone. They were all there, standing behind us now. We were together again. I turned back to Apocalymon.

"Do your worst," I dared him.

And in that moment my digivice lit up, and then Taichi's did as well. The others all let out gasps of surprise as their digivices began to glow, and for a moment I thought we might be capturing Apocalymon as we had done before, but that wasn't the case, because this time the light grew and grew until we were enveloped in the light of our own digivices.

 ** _Taichi Yagami:_**

The combined light from our digivices was overwhelming. I could see nothing, hear nothing. It was almost as if I'd been trapped in Apocalymon's ball of chaos once more...only _reversed_. I wasn't reliving my most painful moments. I wasn't listening to D'Arcmon's final scream over and over on repeat. I wasn't watching Hikari fall to her knees in the park because I'd been stupid and foolish and forced her outside even though I'd known she was sick. I wasn't reliving the pain of finding out that Sora was dead. I wasn't trapped in the Coliseum, knowing that the virus was Rida's fault, and that I'd pushed him into it. Digimon weren't being deleted with EVOLVE's weapons, and my friends weren't demanding that I fix it. Fanglongmon, Dragomon, Yggdrasil, Arkaidimon weren't parading through my mind, showcasing the death and destruction they'd caused—all the damage we'd been too late to prevent.

It wasn't horrible, to be blinded and senseless in this all encompassing light. It was hope, and humility and love. It was our twelve Crests, combining together. I remembered the people I loved—the reasons that I continued to fight, even when it seemed useless. My friends depended on me to stay strong, but it went both ways. I drew that strength from them. They were the source of my continued courage, and my fighting spirit. Left alone to my own devices, I had a tendency to dwell, and collect blame for myself. Without them, I wouldn't accomplish anything.

The light was almost purifying me, wiping away the shadows of doubt and fear, washing away the lingering effects of Apocalymon's chaos. I was freed from all of that, and it was invigorating. But all too soon, the light lessened, the feeling was gone, and my eyes were opened to the world once more.

It wasn't the same world I'd been looking at _before_ though.

Well...it _was_. It was still Earth, but it wasn't 1995 anymore. The buildings that Apocalymon had thoroughly smashed weren't just rubble in the streets. Some were gone completely, and others had been rebuilt.

But we were still surrounded by death and destruction.

The lights of several emergency vehicles were flashing, and paramedics and firemen were taking the wounded and deceased from the battlefield. They were trying to sort through the carnage for survivors—though they'd just started their work. Two fire trucks were just arriving on the scene, their sirens still blaring. Police cruisers were scattered, abandoned by their officers who were among the injured, on the battlefield.

"I can't believe they left without us!" Michael shouted, looking towards what had once been Gaia's tower from which she watched the humans and digimon fight for the survival of their species.

"I don't even understand what's happening," Hideto sighed. "Mimi wasn't exactly full of answers."

"Don't look at us," Ryou said, gesturing to Alice. "We _just_ got here."

"Kurayami, what happened?" Summer asked.

Kurayami was looking worse for wear. She was cradling Labramon to her chest, and was staring off into space, looking at the same jagged tower that had caught Michael's interest. Around her, everyone waited for an explanation. Kurayami was in a trance of sorts, horrified that Apocalymon had been trapped within her. She hadn't had nearly as long to come to terms with everything as we had. It looked as though we'd been gone minutes at the very most.

Neo and Dracomon were standing with Alias III. Lalamon, Warg, Melga and Tapirmon were standing in a semi-circle in front of their partners, as though they were a shield. Terriermon and Lopmon were nearby, while Willis was moving subconsciously towards his dead sister, Alice, whose skin was glowing brightly, inhumanly, as if to serve as a reminder that she was not of this world, and was at Ryou's side. Summer, Spring, Bitoru and Yume were standing behind Michael, and Summer had her hand on his shoulder.

They all looked fine, and ready for battle, as they watched the place we'd all once been, before Mimi decided we needed a quick trip to the past.

The death and destruction was going to get a hell of a lot worse before it got better.

The light was gone now, along with any lingering brightness it had brought to me. I was seeing the world as it truly was, rather than through rose coloured glasses. It wasn't a perfect place. There were actually a ton of problems that still needed to be dealt with, but that wasn't up to the Digidestined. Someone else, some other day, would have to take care of it—because the worlds were _worth_ saving, no matter how bleak they appeared at times. That was someone else's battle. Our battle ended today, one way or the other.

"RUN!" Mimi screamed, breaking the uneasy calm that had been hovering over the rest of our friends. The light was gone, we were once again in the present—and we'd brought Gaia and Apocalymon right in the middle of the recovering battlefield.

Michael and the others turned to us, shocked by Mimi's sudden shout. Mimi was hobbling towards Mom already, trying not to feel the pain in her injured ankle, but finding it hard to ignore. Palmon and Sora were the fastest to follow suit. Apocalymon was ready to kill us, because Hikari had issued him that challenge. I stood by my sister's choices. They were exactly the same ones that I would have made. But it was difficult, knowing just how many lives were now at risk because of us. We weren't strong enough to beat him. We could draw on the strength of everyone else around us, but that might not be enough.

"Is that...?" Kiyoko asked, gulping audibly at the sight of Apocalymon.

"Yeah," Willis said. "And he's just as big as I remember."

Neo groaned and his eyebrows lifted pretentiously. "You had all the time in the world, and still haven't defeated him? Must I do everything myself?" Sora snorted, looking of her shoulder and Neo glared at her but realized he may be out of line. "Taichi, what's the plan?" Neo demanded.

"We need to get the people out," I commanded sharply, for once accepting that they wanted to put the weight of the world on my shoulders. I needed to accept my fear, and work _with_ it, rather than fight against it. Apocalymon and Gaia were enough to fight against; I couldn't worry about something as natural as fear. The weight of the world wasn't as heavy as it once seemed, and I knew it was because twelve of us, at least, were thrumming like pieces of one well-oiled machine. We were twelve pieces of one whole—but we weren't complete yet.

There were twenty-one Digidestined, not twelve.

"Find Alphamon and get him moving. There are hundreds of people and digimon that can't stay here. I won't let Gaia use them as marionettes," I said, ordering Neo in particular for that. "The rest of the Knights can help him."

"Let's go," Neo said, decidedly grabbing Dracomon's hand. And then they were gone hunting through the crowd for a single digimon.

"Mimi, Sora and Palmon are already doing the same," I announced to everyone else. "Someone needs to find the Olympos XII. They're going to be the second wall of defence. They'll work with the Knights and the Crest Digimon. The Original Digidestined might like to join them, just to see this through to the very end."

"I'll go," Jou said, already heading off, with Yamato and Tentomon moving behind him.

"Yume, Bitoru, find Merlin. You're joining their defence," I said loudly. "I need the Council found and sent back to the Digital World. Ken, rally the police force. The humans might be uncomfortable with following our instructions. They look to the police force in times of need. Koushiro, I need you to find a stable port and get a gate open. We're sending people to the Digital World. I don't care if they're digimon or humans. They need to get out of this world, before Gaia realizes she can turn them against us."

"Right," Koushiro said. He headed off quickly, but he wasn't alone. Willis, Biyomon and Miyako headed off too. They were plenty capable of finding a single computer somewhere around here. I was sure Koushiro's own laptop was here someplace. He never seemed to go into battle without it.

Ken left too, quick to find Kimi in the crowd and start relaying the message, before he set about finding his chief. He stopped to talk to a paramedic, who nodded eagerly at his words, and started rallying those that were capable of moving towards the growing crowd that Mimi and Mom had already gathered. I just hoped that Gaia and Apocalymon wouldn't decide they looked like a large target.

"We'll round up the Council," Gabumon assured me, as he raced off with Gomamon, Wormmon and Veemon at his heels.

"And the rest of us?" Mari wanted to know.

"We'll have to divide and conquer," I said solemnly. I didn't have any time to think of proper teams. I couldn't debate who worked best together, and how one digimon's affinity to fire might assist them with either enemy. I didn't have time to divide the group at all.

Gaia wasn't really interested in letting us continue our little group meeting—though perhaps it was _Apocalymon_ that was determined to interrupt us, since it was _him_ that bashed Gaia out of the air towards us. She was still trying to kill her own heart, which was very confusing, and I didn't think _she_ understood what she was doing either.

She'd divided us, though our two groups were far from even.

Agumon, Melga, Lalamon, Kiyoko, Michael, Betamon and Terriermon were with me, and I led them towards Apocalymon, because we needed to attack. We couldn't let him or Gaia win. Neither was a better choice than the other, so we just needed to take the both of them out at once.

Gaia was a big problem. She needed to be taken out, but to do so, we needed to get Apocalymon out of the way. I wouldn't have minded if the two of them wanted to take each other out of the equation, if they weren't so determined to kill as many people as they possibly could in the process.

Agumon struggled to digivolve even to champion, but Terriermon jumped straight to his mega level. If Lopmon hadn't been left behind, they might've been Leopardmon. It wouldn't have helped much either way, but we needed to try at the very least. Joining Greymon and MegaGargomon, GigaSeadramon snaked through the sky. Lalamon quickly joined in with her black Rosemon form, followed by Melga, who had digivolved to BlackMetalGarurumon.

We didn't have _nearly_ enough firepower to keep Apocalymon at bay. The digimon fought at the same time, not taking turns—not taking chances. The only weakness I could see was the slightest crack in his armour—which was now his most guarded place on his person, and the hole that showcased that he _could_ be damaged, before the armour had been applied. Someone had clearly ripped one of his clawed arms from his body. There was a hole that opened into the darkness.

"I have an idea," Kiyoko announced. Michael turned to him quickly, and I couldn't help but be intrigued. He took the hint and elaborated. "Apocalymon's physical form is far smaller than it appears. Look at him. He's got a biological form melded to the mechanical, pentagonal box that is quite frankly, terrifying in size. He's not as strong as he seems. He's controlling the box with the chords and wires that are embedded in his skin."

"Great," Michael said, "now we know how he works. It would be _great_ , if it helped us in any way."

"Michael's right," I said, apologetically. "Apocalymon encased the wires in armour. It gives me bad flashbacks of Yggdrasil."

"I'm not an idiot," Kiyoko said, sharply. "The outside is covered in armour. But the inside of the box isn't. It's just a matter of rewiring him. We could turn his claws against him."

"I don't know any form of programming," I said, protesting quickly.

"But _I_ do," Kiyoko said. He looked over my shoulder, and his eyes narrowed on a target. I turned quickly, afraid I was going to be attacked, but it was just Gravimon, who was coming over to fight by his friend's side. Kiyoko's face was solemn. He _chose_ to do this, despite Michael's immediate protests. I could see how this was a logical step, but I couldn't help but wish Willis, Koushiro and Miyako were handy, so that they could _all_ work together. But it was probably better that they weren't.

There was no proof that Kiyoko could get out of this alive.

"Gravimon," he said. "I need a boost. Taichi, Michael...I need you to cover me."

"We'll do what we can," I promised. "Greymon, light him up!"

Having spotted Gravimon—who wasn't trying to hide at all—and Kiyoko creeping up towards Apocalymon, Greymon was quick to move further from their target. He wanted to keep Apocalymon's attention on him. GigaSeadramon, Rosemon and Melga caught on quickly, and fanned out, dividing Apocalymon's attention between the four of them, which left Kiyoko a clear path.

"I hope he knows what he's doing," Michael said, as we watched Gravimon raise Kiyoko off the ground by manipulating Gravity. Kiyoko was soon gone, lost in the darkness that I hoped wasn't the same dark chaos that Apocalymon had trapped the rest of us in. I wasn't relishing the idea of letting _Kiyoko_ willingly enter the chaos. He had enough nightmares and demons to supply the rest of us. He hadn't led a very happy life, and Apocalymon would definitely capitalize on that.

But it was too late to change his mind now. He was inside, and all we could do now was wait, and pray that he made it out of there.

Rosemon and MegaGargomon were working as a tag team, their movements were flowing seamlessly together, though their attacks weren't similar in any way. I didn't know whether it was a result of their friendship, or simply because of the connection we all _had_ to be feeling. I could feel Hikari's heart beating alongside my own. I could feel a throbbing in my ankle, which I _knew_ to be residual pain sent from Mimi. Koushiro's dizziness, Iori's fear, and Miyako's uncertainty were all running through my veins. I could feel each of my friends. Michael was terrified, and he was hopeful at the same time. I could feel it. Being close to him was solidifying that connection.

That was the only reason I knew Kiyoko wasn't dead. I could feel a faint niggling at the back of my mind. He was terrified, he was lost, but he was determined. He would keep fighting, he would keep trying.

And he wasn't the only one.

It wasn't just my _human_ friends I could feel. I knew just how tired Greymon was. He was _barely_ holding on to his champion level. I needed backup. He wasn't going to last very much longer. He was nothing but a hindrance to Apocalymon anyway. He wasn't causing any damage. He wasn't even entertaining Apocalymon anymore. My best friend was on a clock, and the seconds were getting dangerously close to zero. I didn't want Apocalymon to get irritated enough to kill him. I knew it was a possibility, but it wasn't something I _wanted_.

Ideally, we'd all make it out alive.

But we'd already had casualties from both the human and digimon species. The digimon's data was lost to the Earth's atmosphere, like Wizardmon's had been long ago, and Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon's too, but the humans were scattered about.

Mom and Mimi were still working side by side. They were escorting children and elderly towards the diminishing crowd. Koushiro was holding a battered laptop that definitely _didn't_ belong to him, on his lap, turned to face the gathered people. Miyako, Willis and Biyomon were rallying the people, getting them into some semblance of order, so that Koushiro could send them through. I knew that Babamon and Jijimon at the very least were waiting on the other side, and MetallifeKuwagamon was in the crowd, ready to pass through the gate, and help guide everyone to safety.

They weren't headed to the Temple. That had been destroyed. I didn't know _where_ Koushiro had deemed a proper destination, and I didn't care. They would be safer there, and that was all that mattered.

Benjamin, Ilya, Jose and Hogan were quick to join the crowd. Benjamin took Miyako's arm and murmured in her ear. She nodded, and passed a dozen more of Gennai's clones, on her way to Willis and Biyomon. They nodded when she spoke to them. Biyomon jumped into the air and flew towards Apocalymon, digivolving as she went, so that it was Birdramon that slammed into the golden box's side.

Michael winced, knowing that Kiyoko was inside.

Birdramon and Greymon supported one another, in their fight, while Gravimon and GigaSeadramon stood on their own. Ice pellets rained down on us, as Willis reached my side. He nearly toppled over, catching himself on my arm, and called out support to his partner.

"You can do it buddy!" he yelled. "Don't give up."

"I'm too stubborn to do that," MegaGargomon joked, as he unleashed explosives in Apocalymon's direction. Apocalymon let them slam against him, and laughed a dark, cold laugh as they did absolutely nothing. He was toying with us. He was letting us exhaust ourselves so that he could pick us off one by one.

And it was working.

There was literally nothing we could do to change that. Greymon and Birdramon were maxed out. They couldn't reach a higher level than Champion. Garurumon, Stingmon and ExVeemon joined the fray, also topped out. They weren't strong enough yet. They needed rest and food, but we didn't have any of either to spare at the moment. But their presence in the fight meant that they'd found the council and one glance towards the Gennai Agents assured me that SaberLeomon and Titamon were standing guard, acting as a shield for the crowd—though I could see both were itching to fight.

"Why won't he just die already?" Michael wanted to know, groaning when Birdramon was slapped out of the air, slamming into the ground hard. Biyomon struggled to get to her feet in the crater that her larger size formed. The rocks kept slipping under her feet. She was exhausted and collapsed at the bottom of the crater, unable to get free. Dust was clouded around her, and Greymon growled, walking into Apocalymon, and trying to just _shove_ him backwards, so that he was further from Biyomon.

Sora abandoned Palmon to race towards Biyomon. Palmon wasn't in any danger. She was herding a collection of Woodmon towards SaberLeomon. Hogan came to meet them, and Palmon aimed for a stubborn Frigimon next, who kept lobbing snowballs at Apocalymon.

GigaSeadramon covered Sora, as she slid down into the crater, and scooped Biyomon into her arms. Gravimon lifted her out, and sent her to us through the air. She landed gently, and fell to her knees, checking to make sure Biyomon was breathing—though we all knew she was. She _had_ to be, or she wouldn't physically be there.

"Come on Kiyoko," I murmured. "Hurry up, so we can beat him."

Hideto came racing over, and was clearly struggling with his situation. Warg was fighting Gaia, as BlackWarGreymon, while Melga was fighting Apocalymon. If the two would pick a single enemy, they would be a more formidable opponent. He kept turning his head back to see Warg, and he tripped over his feet, landing in front of Willis.

"We can't kill him," Willis said, not even glancing at Hideto. I glared at him. He held up his hands defensively. "I don't doubt our abilities. It's just that...well, his data would just linger on Earth. Daisuke told me once, that digimon never really die. I didn't really believe him at the time, and really, after the _virus_ , it's not necessarily true anymore. But he was right to an extent."

"I don't have any other ideas," I said. "So we're just going to have to kill him and hope for the best."

"No," Hideto said. "Willis is right. There's got to be something we can do. He's pure Chaos, right? That's what Hikari said anyway. The point is, killing him will just make him more powerful in the event that he can pull his data back together again."

"Again," I said dryly, "we have no other option."

"Not necessarily true," Hideto said trailing off as his eyes scanned the crowd. I was afraid to look towards Gaia, but I knew that I really needed to. I could feel that my friends were alive, but _Biyomon_ was alive too, and she wasn't in particularly good shape.

But I was too scared to do it. I didn't want to see Gaia beating my sister. I was losing rather spectacularly, but so long as I didn't _see_ it, Hikari wasn't necessarily losing nearly as badly as I was.

"Norn needed to beat Yggdrasil, didn't she?" Hideto said, getting more confident the more he spoke. "She wasn't even as powerful then as she is now. She can _purify_ things, guys. She can purify his chaos as we kill him."

"That's genius," Sora said, looking up to Hideto with a fierce fire in her eyes. She turned that gaze to Apocalymon and nodded. "Purifying him would be the _worst_ thing we could do to him."

"So of course, that's what we'll do," Hideto agreed with a dark smirk on his face. "I'll find Norn. She was with Merlin I think. I haven't seen her in a while."

"Go," I said, nodding, when I realized he was still looking to me for guidance. He nodded once, before racing away, glancing back over his shoulder towards Melga, who was still holding her own. She was fighting with Gravimon on Apocalymon's left. She and Gravimon were giving it their all, and Apocalymon seemed to be focussing his attention on them, which allowed MegaGargomon and Rosemon to attack his mostly open right side. Unfortunately, Apocalymon appeared to be able to attack them with minimal effort, because he didn't even glance their way, and large, metal claws flew at them. Rosemon used her whip to drag the tentacle meant for MegaGargomon away from him, and MegaGargomon took out the arm meant for her with a pair of missiles. Garurumon, Stingmon, Greymon and ExVeemon were all getting as close as they could, and firing their strongest attacks, hoping to crack through his shiny, golden armour.

They weren't able to do it, but their determination was something to be proud of.

"Taichi, can you give us a hand?" Mimi shouted. I turned to see that she was with Mom still. Mom had already called a few of her friends, and Yoshie, and Toshiko were lined up beside her. All four women had their hands on a large chunk of rock. They were pulling as hard as they could, but the person that had been crushed under the rock—a middle-aged man—wasn't able to pull himself _out_ while they lifted. They were dangerously close to the fight against Apocalymon, and while I didn't really want to leave, I couldn't let Mom—or any of the others—get caught in the fight. I couldn't stand to see anything bad happen to my mother.

I patted Michael on the back, and his face grew more determined. Willis nodded, and Sora got to her feet, still cradling Biyomon, though our pink friend seemed to be starting to wake up. That was a good sign. I trusted these people to keep an eye on the fight, and warn our partners of anything they might miss.

I moved quickly to the man, and dragged him out from under the rock. I was trying to be gentle, but the stress of the day was making me impatient. Once his feet were cleared, the rock was dropped back on the ground. Mom wiped her forehead, exhausted. Yoshie fanned her face, and Toshiko was already scanning her surroundings for the next person she could help.

"Mimi," I said. "Where's Palmon? We could really use her help."

"I'll find her," Mimi said. She didn't look happy about having to fight again, but she also knew that this was it. The final battle. She couldn't wait until tomorrow, when our peace began. She hugged me quickly, and raced off, limping on her sprained ankle. She was panicking a little. I could feel it, as though the panic was my own. She was terrified that we would lose someone today—and I was determined to make sure that wasn't the case.

"I've got to get back," I said, but Mom caught my hand, pulling me into an embrace of her own. I tried to be patient, but it _really_ wasn't the time for things like that. "Mom, find Dad and get out of here."

"I can't leave you kids to fight alone," she said, shaking her head firmly. "And there are too many people that need help."

"The Knights are on the case," I said, pointing towards Alphamon and Craniamon who were working side by side with some of Gennai's numerous clones to escort a collection of six humans and four digimon to Koushiro's portal. Gomamon was at Koushiro's side, sending Tinkermon, Petermon and CaptainHookmon back through to the Digital World, before he raced off towards Apocalymon, digivolving to Ikkakumon on the way.

Examon flew over Ikkakumon, diving at Apocalymon with a vengeance. Neo was moving at a much more sedated pace, and Evelen was holding his hand, despite what looked like pleas for her to get through the gateway to the Digital World. Her brother was easier to convince, but he had second thoughts before passing through, and took the computer from Koushiro, taking the place of our resident expert on...everything, so that Koushiro was available to fight.

I was certainly confused to see the two of them joining in the fight—or at the very least showing up. Where had they been before? And if they had come, where were the others? Was it possible that Rei had come along as well? That didn't seem likely because of her inability to use her legs and her constant delusion that she was a hindrance or useless when that could never be the case.

Koushiro ran into Palmon, who took his hand and dragged him towards Apocalymon, before she digivolved to Togemon. Mimi caught up with them later, and was sure to keep a good six feet between Koushiro and herself.

The Olympos XII were placing themselves at intervals in a ring, surrounding the street—or what was left of it. Smoke and dust was everywhere. It was hard to see, and buildings were crumbling, adding to the dire atmosphere. A bridge had collapsed, leaving Jou and Yamato at the other side, but Piddomon flew to get them at Amai's insistence. It looked like Katsue and Amai had been reunited and stationed themselves and their partners among the Olympos XII. Yume glowed through the dust, and I knew he, Merlin and Bitoru had joined the rankings, and so had at least half of the Crest Digimon. Kae Ichijouji stood next to her partner, Coronamon, and her husband stood with them. Natsuko Takaishi was with Lunamon as well, though Lunamon was quicker to digivolve than Coronamon was, and was at her Champion level, Lekismon.

Meiyomon was racing through the streets like mad, grabbing people left and right, and dragging them to safety. Shinsetsumon and Shinramon had joined SaberLeomon and Titamon, casting their shields as further protection for the people being evacuated. Dad was with Shellmon, closing the space between Merukimon and Jundomon in the circle of defence. I wanted to shout for him to leave, with Mom, so they could be safe. But I knew it was a lost cause.

I'd gotten my stubbornness from the both of them.

A lot of our parents were among the large ring. Izumi was standing between Satoe—with Minervamon—and Hiroaki, who was waiting for Wizardmon, who was teleporting people to the evacuation line. It was surreal to see how many people were lining up to help us save the worlds. Logically it made sense. It was all of their homes as well, but it was empowering to see that all these people believed in us. They wanted to help us succeed, and I couldn't say no.

Shin and the fight club, and their partners were all together, between Marsmon and Karumon. Kouji and Kouichi had Psychemon and Liollmon with them, as they stood with Haruhiko, Shuu, Meramon, Jun, Otamamon and Gekomon. Hiroshi, Takashi and Keiko, the remaining Dark Spore victims were with Tomotsu, Noriko's fiancé, Impmon and their two remaining partners. Digitamamon and all of the fairies' partners were out there, as were the Teenage Wolves. Even Daisuke's Dad was among them, standing with his wife, on Venusmon's left.

Obviously there weren't enough people for a fully composed circle, but that didn't matter. There was enough support to push me onwards.

The only people left _inside_ the circle, were those that still needed to be evacuated, Toshiko, Yoshie, Mom, the Knights, the Digidestined, our partners, Gennai's clones, and those protecting the evacuating group—and of course, the police officers, paramedics and firemen, who were aiding the evacuation efforts.

Ken had left Kimi and his chief to do their thing. This wasn't the typical situation, and they weren't exactly trained for it, but I trusted them, because Ken trusted them, and that was enough for me. Ken was at Miyako's side, and I winced at the sight—because I'd been trying _not_ to look there.

Ken's arm was around Miyako's shoulders, and she was biting her lip, watching with wide, fearful eyes as Aquilamon fought against Gaia. Beside the married pair, Takeru stood with his hands in fists, as he cheered Angemon onwards in the battle. Yamato and Jou were next to Takeru, watching as Piddomon—without his partner, who was still in the outer circle—fought side by side with Angemon, rolling off each others' back, and attacking in a way that looked choreographed, because it was so flawless. Kabuterimon was fighting too, but his movements were far too choppy to meld well with the pair of angels, and he was aiming for a more standard attack scheme, which mostly just utilized brute force.

Piedmon and Warg (as BlackWarGreymon) were fighting together. Piedmon was wielding one of his trump swords, and when Gaia turned to attack him, he and Warg spun, leaving Gaia's attack to slam into the shield upon Warg's back, before they switched places again, so that Piedmon could attempt to stab Gaia again.

Gaia seemed to be lost in the movements. She was graceful and deadly. She didn't seem to be drowning in her loss of sanity anymore, and that worried me. She was in the zone, fending off the attacks of Piedmon, Warg, Angemon, Aquilamon, Piddomon—and the joint efforts of Cherubimon and Gatomon. The two of them were utilizing their holy rings, and trying to use their holy attributes against her. Angemon and Piddomon were attempting this as well. It was a good concept, but Gaia didn't seem to be weakening because of it.

Mari was practically screaming encouragement to Warg, Cherubimon and Piedmon, since their partners weren't there. She glanced over towards Apocalymon often, checking to see that Rosemon was still fine, and nodding to herself when she realized that Rosemon and MegaGargomon were ensuring each others' safety. Daisuke was at her side, with his hand wrapped around Kurayami's. Kurayami was shaking. She was blaming herself. I could feel the way she was drowning in guilt. Daisuke refused to accept her guilt, and was trying to convince her otherwise.

"It's all my fault, Daisuke," she insisted. "The worlds are going to fall, and that's on me. I thought getting rid of the curse would save Haruki, but it won't. I messed up— _again_!"

"NO!" he protested loudly. "Don't let him get to you, don't let him win. You're just feeding his power when you do that. He's sending you in a downward spiral, and your negativity is going to make him stronger."

"So it _is_ my fault," she said, shaking her head, and trying to take her hand away from him. "I'm poisoning the team. I'm making everything worse."

"Just accept that it happened," Iori suggested, glancing at Miyako. "You can deal with the feelings later, but accepting that it happened, and that it was his fault, will make it easier. You did nothing wrong. He invaded you. He made you the victim."

"I thought I was _done_ being the victim," she said, crying now. "I thought after Fanglongmon..."

"I know," Iori said. "But you're strong. You can get through this. We'll get through it together. But you need to accept that it happened. Don't fight against it. Don't fight against Daisuke. It happened, and you can't change that. But you don't have to let it affect you. Cut off the negativity."

"I can't think _positively_ about this," she said, though tears, sounding like they were asking the impossible of her. But they weren't. I knew that. I could feel it. I wasn't used to the idea of feeling my friend's hearts alongside my own—and I really hoped it wasn't permanent—but it was far more useful than I realized it would be.

"Don't," Daisuke said, pleadingly. "Just accept it, and be neutral. He won't be expecting it."

"I—I'll try," she promised. Daisuke smiled at her, and wrapped her in his arms. She cried against him, and Iori turned back to the battle. Ankylomon and Seasarmon weren't fighting Gaia. What they _were_ doing, was acting as defence. Gaia wasn't nearly as large of an enemy as Apocalymon was, and there wasn't enough room for the two of them to fight, so they backed off, and let the stronger competitors fight.

Since I _was_ looking, I tried to find Hikari. It was alarming to notice that she wasn't there, but I spotted her soon enough, next to the glowing Digidestined of Miracles, just a little ways away from the fight. Her eyes were on Gatomon, but she was listening to what Alice was saying to Ryou. He was nodding and looking to Cyberdramon—who wasn't particularly invested in the conversation.

"Ready to try?" Alice asked the pair of them.

"Let's do this, Cyberdramon," Ryou said firmly. "We need to help. We've all got to work together to win, after all."

"You can do it," Hikari said, full of confidence. Ryou smiled thankfully at her, and held out his digivice—which was different than it used to be, _that's_ for sure. It was blue and bulky, but I was glad mine stayed as small as it had.

"Biomerge activate!" Ryou called, holding the new digivice in front of him, and closing his eyes. Cyberdramon started glowing, but he wasn't the only one. Ryou was glowing too.

" **Cyberdramon Biomerge to...** "

Cyberdramon broke into data, and floated around Ryou, finding places to solidify once more. Slowly, he stopped glowing, revealing a man in a blue jumpsuit, with white detailing and a cybernetic, silver arm. His face was covered with a silver mask, and a long, red scarf was tied around his neck, fluttering in the wind.

" **Justimon!** "

"You did it Ryou!" Alice cheered, her blonde pigtails bouncing as she jumped up and down in excitement. Justimon didn't wait around to get praised, and instead raced into battle. It was strange, seeing Ryou become a digimon. I was a little jealous, to be honest. It didn't seem fair that he got to go into battle against foes like Gaia, without being seen as a weak link. I would've loved to be one and the same as Agumon, so that I didn't feel like I was forcing my best friend to fight _for_ me. I wanted to fight with him.

But it wasn't meant to be. I realized that whatever digivolution this was, it was for Ryou alone, and for the people that he would fight with in the future, when he took down the final Great Evil—assuming we lived long enough for that to really be an issue.

It also became clear to me, that Cyberdramon and Ryou were _not_ on the same page. Justimon was a mess out there. He was charging towards Gaia, and then he was backing off. His arm seemed to be shifting between a solid piece of metal, with a laser blade emerging from it, and its standard shape—which just looked like a metal arm.

Gaia caught the arm, and threw him into Angemon and Piddomon, who fell to the ground. Patamon and DemiDevimon clambered to get out of the way, before Gaia could get to them and kill them. Cherubimon and Gatomon made sure to get in the way, so they could have a clean getaway.

"Find Amai," Patamon ordered DemiDevimon. The little guy looked disappointed that he hadn't been able to help find victory, but was too tired to digivolve again, and flew off. Gaia tried to knock him out of the sky with a well-aimed vine, but Piedmon sliced the vine in half, while Warg threw his Terra Destoyer in Gaia's direction.

"You are wasting your energy," Gaia snarled, whipping four new vines in their direction and knocking them out of the sky. Warg landed on top of Piedmon, and when they tried to get to their feet, Gaia threw ice their way, stabbing through Warg's shoulder and Piedmon's leg. Tapirmon and Warg—as a BlackAgumon—were left vulnerable, as Gaia advanced on them. Seasarmon and Ankylomon charged, ready to defend our fallen friends, but Gaia knocked Ankylomon away, leaving Armadillomon in the dust. She meant to do the same to Seasarmon, but he digivolved as he dodged out of the way, and Cerberumon took his place. He bit down on Gaia's shoulder, but she didn't even flinch.

The armour made of Yggdrasil was too tough. She felt nothing from the bite. She threw fire into Cerberumon's face, engulfing him in flames. Labramon was left, smoking on the ground. She kicked him away, and moved once more towards Tapirmon and Warg.

"Not so fast!" Justimon said, though his body and voice seemed to be conflicting. Ryou's good hearted nature, and desire to do the right thing was clashing greatly with Cyberdramon's cruelty and bloodlust. Milleniummon was too dominating in their fused form. They weren't balanced with one another. It was a great party trick, but it wasn't going to help us much in this fight.

Aquilamon, Gatomon and Kabuterimon weren't going to let Justimon take Gaia on alone, and quickly blocked her path, while Yamato and Mari ran to get Warg and Tapirmon out of there. Kurayami and Miyako slipped around, while Gaia was distracted, and retrieved Armadillomon and Labramon. Iori couldn't do it, and he looked really upset with himself—I could feel his inner anger, and I wished he would direct more of it towards Gaia, because it was _her_ fault. She ordered Bagramon to do what he did. She was the source of his pain.

It also occurred to me that Bagramon had been left unconscious somewhere nearby, when he was in the past, and he could wake up any moment to join the fight.

"Ken," I called. "Find my Mom for me, would you? I need her to take Alphamon, and Craniamon, and maybe Yoshie with Digitamamon to get Bagramon. Tell her where he is."

"Okay," Ken said. He didn't want to leave Miyako, but he also was one of the few that knew where Bagramon was, so he raced off, weaving through the people that were still on Earth. Logically, I knew that a mass evacuation took time, but I also knew that we didn't really have time to spare. I wanted everyone to just slip to safety in the Digital World—which I supposed wasn't really the Digital World at all, because there were also other worlds combined with it—but a lot of people didn't seem to be cooperating.

A quick glance towards Apocalymon informed me that Kiyoko was still stuck inside somewhere, battling with the chaos, and his own mind, and Hideto still hadn't brought Norn back, so they weren't getting any closer to winning. There were also four less digimon fighting than there were the last time I'd seen them. Ikkakumon, Garurumon, Stingmon and Togemon were down. I could see Mimi cradling Palmon, but I couldn't spot any of the others. I knew Sora wouldn't let anything happen to them, so they _had_ to be okay, I just didn't know where they were.

Ken ran over. I figured that meant he'd found Mom somewhere, and mentally crossed Bagramon off the list in my head. It was one less thing to worry about. But it wasn't very comforting.

"This world will fall," Gaia screamed. "APOCALYMON! This world is yours to do with as you wish. You can create as much chaos as you want, so long as my world stays standing. We both win."

 _I like it_.

My skin crawled as Apocalymon broadcast his opinion through our minds. It was a few seconds before the reality of his decision sunk in. Hikari figured it out sooner than I did.

"No," she cried out, looking between Gaia and Apocalymon. Gaia was grinning maliciously. She was confident that she'd just arranged for her own victory. I couldn't accept that. It was hard enough when she and Apocalymon wanted to kill each other. We'd just been trying to keep them apart without dying. Now they were united. Apocalymon would get Earth to destroy as he pleased, and Gaia would get everything else.

"That's not even a fair deal," I said, trying to sway Apocalymon back to his former decision, where he'd _hated_ Gaia. But it was no use. He was content with having one world of pure chaos, and another world where he could let off a little steam every once in a while so long as he didn't destroy the place.

"It's not fair," Hikari said, about the situation, not the deal. She'd already accepted the inevitability. We weren't going to be able to win. Autumn couldn't see the future of this fight. She didn't know if we'd survive, and I thought that our chances were pretty low.

I tried to find some sort of hope, but it was hard when Gaia quickly sliced through Kabuterimon, Gatomon _and_ Aquilamon, rendering them to their Rookie states. Mari bellowed with rage, and caught hold of both Gatomon and Hawkmon, while Jou grabbed Tentomon.

"And now you're down to two," Gaia said with a smirk. "I can see that destiny is on _your_ side."

Her sarcasm hurt. It was entirely unnecessary. She was already beating us. She'd regained Apocalymon's trust—whether she actually meant to work with him or not was Apocalymon's problem now, since he was the one that was risking his existence in order to join her.

Gaia stormed forward, and we were pushed back. It didn't take long to realize that she and Apocalymon were herding us together. Cherubimon and Justimon weren't enough to stop Gaia's plan. We were sheep, practically putty in her hands. We could do nothing more than follow her lead if we planned on surviving.

People were screaming everywhere. Digimon and human alike ran for their lives as our two powerful enemies gained ground, and came together. Michael tripped over Daisuke, and fell to the ground by my feet, and I knew we were scooped. Turning, I was able to see that everyone that had been fighting Apocalymon were _right_ at my back. Dracomon was moaning on the ground, with Evelen crouched down next to him. Melga, now a BlackGabumon, was draped over Warg, crying. Mari raced to Lalamon, who was tangled with Terriermon. ExVeemon was thrown to the ground, leaving Veemon to land face first in the crumbling pavement.

GigaSeadramon, Cherubimon and Justimon were still standing. Greymon was on his feet, but I didn't know for how much longer. Apocalymon hit him with one of his giant claws, and Agumon landed on his backside, in a matter of seconds. Gaia slammed into Justimon, wrapping his arms and legs in vines, so Apocalymon could smash him with a claw. Justimon glowed, and Cyberdramon flew at Apocalymon, while Ryou landed on the ground in a heap. Apocalymon swatted Cyberdramon out of the sky. He fell towards Gaia, who shot a vine out of the ground, and hit him. He landed in a heap beside Ryou, unmoving.

Cherubimon and GigaSeadramon moved until they were standing back to back. Gravimon seemed for a moment to have abandoned the fight, but I spotted him behind Apocalymon, clearly waiting for Kiyoko to return. I hoped that was soon, because that would mean that Apocalymon wouldn't be nearly as dangerous—assuming of course that Kiyoko's plan worked out.

Gaia let out a battle cry, and shot Cherubimon and GigaSeadramon out of the sky. Lopmon and Betamon crashed down, thoroughly exhausted, even before Gaia's attack. The last of our defence was down. We were fish in a barrel, waiting to be shot.

"Now, you die," Gaia said—no, she practically _purred_ it. She walked gracefully forward, but Apocalymon's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"It's not nearly chaotic enough for my tastes," he said, bitterly. Gaia growled to herself and threw her hands out. Apocalymon got his wish. Chaos ensued. The people started fighting those that were trying to evacuate them. Summer and Spring flew at us at lightning speed, tackling their mother, and dragging her away from us.

Hundreds of humans and digimon were fighting. But they weren't fighting each other anymore. No. They were fighting _us_. They were fighting all those that opposed Gaia's whim. Kimi was being overwhelmed by a Bakemon. Bengoshi was lifted into the air by a Vilemon, only to be dropped towards the street when he reached an optimum height. Dynasmon caught him before throwing him through the gateway into another world. Meiyomon was fighting back to back with Crusadermon, while Yuk and Huh did their best not to get trampled. Everyone that had been circling the fight, forming a ring of protection, in order to contain what was happening, had all ran into the fray. DemiDevimon and Amai were fighting alongside Tafu and Candlemon. Jazz, Shuri, Dan, Jin, Shoto and Kai were all running through the destruction with their digimon—Starmon, ToyAgumon, Tuskmon, Hagurumon, Falcomon and Tankmon—fending off all attacking, mindless minions of Gaia.

I cursed myself for ever growing calm. I might've thought we were going to die, but I didn't think for even a second that it could have been too easy of a fight. I was wrong. We were down. Our partners were all Rookies—except for Cyberdramon and Gatomon—and we were standing helpless in a sea of pure chaos.

No.

I shook my head. Our _partners_ were down, but that didn't mean we were.

Forming a ring around our fallen partners, we protected them the best we could. It was the least we could do after all the years that they'd fought on our behalf. Mari was on my right, and Neo was on my left. Sora and Koushiro were fighting as a team—though not nearly as flawlessly as Biyomon and Tentomon could. Iori was trying, but wasn't succeeding. Miyako and Yamato were making up for his efforts by doubling their own. Ken was fighting at Miyako's side, and Daisuke was working with Kurayami. Michael was fuelling his fighting spirit with thoughts of his unborn—potentially _actually_ born—child. Willis was more determined than I'd ever seen him before. He and Alice were working as one. It was the first chance they'd really had to fight together, but I couldn't tell. They looked like they'd been doing it for years.

I punched a man in the face, sweeping his legs with my right foot, knocking him to the ground. He got back up immediately. I was at a loss and found myself punching him again, kicking him away. He just came back. I couldn't understand where he got his energy from.

"Gaia," Neo said, simply. "She is commanding them. They cannot feel pain. They cannot feel anything."

"She's killing them," I guessed.

"Why would she care?" Neo questioned. "She does not want either the digimon or the humans to survive. They are too willing to fight against her. It would not be in her best interest."

"She's a horrid woman," I snarled, kicking the man again, trying to be gentle, but finding that it wasn't in Agumon's best interest. I needed to keep them away from my partner. He needed to survive this.

"I find that calling her a woman at all is insulting to women everywhere," Evelen scoffed. I bit back a laugh. It really wasn't the time to be cracking jokes—but then, we might never get another chance. Evelen's eyes narrowed on a Minotarumon that was attacking her brother. Kansui was at a loss. He couldn't fight. Evelen took off like a rocket, jumping over several Numemon that _weren't_ on our side, and sidestepping a few Bakemon. There was a particularly vicious Snimon that nearly took her head off, but Kentaurusmon was quick to intercept, and Evelen made it through safely. Beyond her, I saw Merlin, Yume and Bitoru fighting back-to-back-to-back. Merlin's magic was putting our attackers to sleep, but they just kept getting up anyway. Yume and Bitoru took a more hands-on approach, but even that wasn't doing much good. The only way to stop them was to kill them, and that would just be playing into Gaia's hands.

Jupitermon was leading the Olympians in a well executed onslaught, while Meiyomon's siblings were scattered, attacking without plans of any sort. They were just as effective—which was to say, _not_ effective. They weren't trying to kill anyone, and the opponents were just getting back up, despite their immense power.

The Teenage Wolves were fighting alongside Jou's step-sisters, with the aid of Elecmon, Gorillamon, Drimogemon and Mojyamon—the fairies' partners. The Ichijouji's were trying their best, but Kae wasn't a fighter, and Kazuya was trying to protect her, but he couldn't handle it. It was something I forgot a lot, in terms of my own parents, but they were all getting older. Jou joked about being too old for this—and they were so much older than him.

Dansei, Mantarou and Iruka were fighting with Pumpkinmon, Gotsumon, the Dark Spore victims, Tomotsu and Impmon. The Gennai Agents were quite focussed on grabbing whoever they could and throwing them into the portal, getting them away from Gaia's clutches. Jun was fighting alongside a pair of Gekomon, and was wailing on people and digimon alike, protecting the digimon that were fighting alongside her as best she could. Shuu wasn't far away, and was with Meramon, Shin and Jagamon. Isao, Unimon and Aimi were close as well. Dad and Shellmon were fighting with Hiroaki, Natsuko and Haruhiko, while Toshiko attacked with Mushroomon at her side. Puraido was in the middle of a crowd of parents. Satoe and Keisuke Tachikawa, Masami Izumi, Haruka and Manabu Motomiya, Tadashi and Sayuri Inoue, Mr Washington, the Jeffersons, Okotte Higorashi. They were all fighting. They were all failing. But they didn't let that get them down. They would not die standing idle.

SaberLeomon and Titamon were forces to be reckoned with, and were actually struggling to hold _back_ enough to not kill those they were fighting. They were focussing their efforts on herding the people towards the Gennai Agents, so they could be dealt with.

A car drove into the fight, nearly being crushed by a falling wall, as a building collapsed, sending dust flying everywhere. Katsue climbed out, followed by Monitamon. She was holding a massive white gun in her hands, and when she fired it, I recognized where it came from. It was from the battle against Yggdrasil. Koushiro had given it to her, so that she could defeat the robots. Maybe using Yggdrasil's power against Apocalymon would work. She took aim, and went to fire, but a Monochromon got in the way. Spring threw her hand out and motioned with her hand, and the gun turned, before it could vaporize the usually peaceful dinosaur. Katsue looked at the gun as if it had a life of its own, but I knew it didn't. Spring had just managed to control it, since it had once been made of the great tree of everything.

Takuya and his partner, Hyokomon, were leading the Original Digidestined who were all sort of corralling people towards the Gennai Agents. They passed by Evelen and Kansui who were fighting against the Minotaurmon. Evelen was magnificent, but she was still losing. He was too strong for her, and he was under Gaia's power, and was therefore not going to lose no matter _how_ good Evelen was.

But Gankoomon and Hackmon flew through the gate into Earth and took care of the Minotaurmon easily enough, throwing him through the gate, easy as pie. Kansui grabbed Hackmon and hugged him tightly, thankful to be alive, while Evelen regarded Gankoomon with a cool indifference that he seemed to appreciate, even though it was obvious that she was thankful.

Several things happened at once. Gaia slammed into the ground in front of me. Summer and Spring were running towards her, not wanting to leave this fight to anyone else. But Gaia got to her feet and turned to us, smiling. Agumon got to his feet and started limping his way to Apocalymon, determined to keep the fight going, since no one was able to fight against him. I spotted Hideto dragging Norn behind him, escorting her around Gaia's spiked tower. Apocalymon shot a claw towards Agumon, and I screamed for him to duck, to move, to _get out of there_ , but he didn't move.

The claw stopped short, and Apocalymon bellowed with rage.

Kiyoko rolled out of the hole in Apocalymon's side, and Gravimon caught him, flying him to our circle. He looked a little haunted, but he was in good shape. "I tangled the wires," he explained, looking proudly towards Apocalymon, who was still trying to figure out what had happened.

Hideto and Norn arrived, and Gaia stormed forward, a look of malice still on her face, despite Apocalymon's obvious troubles. Apocalymon exploded in anger, casting pure, inky black chaos across the battle. Hikari shouted, as though she were in pain, and my eyes sought her out. She was acting on impulse and was running _toward_ the blackness. My heart lurched as I took a staggered step out to stop her but when I saw her arms thrown out to either side I paused. I was sure I had seen her chest let out a faint glow. Soon the glow expanded into a dome surrounding us. As the blackness rushed toward us, like a whole ocean that just escaped a newly broken dam, we all stood, unable to think or to move. There was nowhere to hide anymore. But the chaos did not hit us. When it should have crashed into us all, it instead washed over Hikari's shield.

There was a long silent moment where the glow from Hikari's light protected us from the concentrated evilness that Apocalymon was shooting out, but the silence could not last forever, and neither could the chaos. It soon faded, and so did Hikari's light. When the shield faltered, we were treated to a sight worse than anything else we'd already seen. Buildings were crumbling worse than before. The street was a disaster, and everyone, all of our friends, families, allies, temporary-mind-controlled-enemies, were on the ground, unconscious—potentially lost in their own nightmares. Or worse.

I was afraid it was worse than any of that. I was afraid they might never get up again.

Mimi screamed and fell to her knees, catching sight of her mother. Miyako and Ken stepped forward, as though they were going to move to their family. But they thought better of it and stayed where they were. We couldn't afford to leave an opening anymore. One wrong move, and Apocalymon or Gaia would kill everyone we cared about. I was too nervous to seek out my own family. I had wanted them to _leave_. They should have left when I had told them to. If I never spotted them, then I could convince myself they were gone and alright. Mom had left, and I hadn't seen her since, but that didn't mean much here. And Dad... I fought the urge to search the bodies for him or Kamemon.

"You will not walk away with your lives," Gaia announced in a bone chilling tone, as her insane need for power coloured her words. "There are two outcomes of this fight. Apocalymon and I either kill each other, or we rule together. There are no other choices. The future is set in stone. I've seen it all!"

"Have you seen _this_?" Mari snapped. My eyes flicked toward her, expecting to see her cradling Lalamon still, but I was surprised to see her taking a long stride away from our group. Her fist wound back and I could only watch as Mari punched Gaia in the face with all her might, having walked up to her while she was ranting about her success. Gaia's head flung backwards, and she let out a loud and unexpected grunt of pain as her feet carried her away from us in a staggered and surprised way. Gaia's eyes were wild when she looked to Mari. "Yeah, Autumn couldn't see me either. That's how I _know_ you won't win. You can't see all the tricks we've got up our sleeves. Unlike you, not all of us are trapped by destiny."

"I _will_ be the victor!" Gaia growled, grabbing Mari by the throat. Mari kicked Gaia as hard as she could, but couldn't do much through the armour she was wearing. Mari pried at Gaia's fingers, but that only made Gaia squeeze harder.

" _No_ ," Summer called, racing forward and slamming her foot down on her mother's arm, "you won't."

Mari was dropped to the ground, and forgotten about, as Summer and Spring duelled their mother, in a battle for life and death that they _knew_ they couldn't win.

But Mari was right when she was goading Gaia. We had people outside the tight hold of destiny. Mari, Hideto, Kiyoko and now Willis were all meant to be dead. They'd escaped their destiny, and walked their own path. It was a rather uplifting reminder. Not all hope was lost.

Even if it seemed that way.

Agumon continued to limp forward, gathering enough energy for a Pepper Breath, before spitting the fiery ball at Apocalymon. It did absolutely nothing as it washed over his golden armour. But Agumon still had the fighting spirit, and that inspired me. Soon, everyone was on their feet again, creating a semi-circle behind Agumon, with our partners in front of us, and Norn standing behind Agumon. Her hands were glowing as she looked up at Apocalymon, and at that moment, I understood what Agumon meant when he said that he'd shared a heart and a life with the other digimon in the prism that Gaia had made them into—because I felt it too.

I felt everyone's emotions washing over me, and flowing through me as though they were my own. I felt Agumon's determination, and it was multiplied by each person standing there, ready to fight to the bitter end for a _chance_ at peace. And for once it was our entire team. We had every Crest bearer in one place for the first time in all of history. And we'd had some of them travel through time and space to get here, while Alice had literally come from the dead. If this wasn't the miracle we needed to step outside of the stream of destiny that Gaia was sure we were trapped in, then I didn't know what was.

And then our digivices all burst into light. It was the most beautiful rainbow I'd ever seen, even though it was horrendous, and not in order. But the collection of light bursts was full of hope and it was the purest, most powerful thing I'd ever experienced. I was nearly blinded by the orange coming from my belt. Neo's plum, and Mari's lime were nearly overwhelming too, and our partners all were hit with beams of light from the sky, matching the Crests they held.

When Agumon was caught in the light, it almost felt like I was there with him. And the light show just got brighter, because each of the digimon glowed as well, floating into the air.

" **Agumon!** "

" **Gabumon!** "

" **Biyomon!** "

" **Tentomon!** "

" **Palmon!** "

" **Gomamon!** "

" **Patamon!** "

" **Gatomon!** "

" **Veemon!** "

" **Hawkmon!** "

" **Armadillomon!** "

" **Wormmon!** "

" **Betamon!** "

" **Terriermon!** "

" **Lopmon!** "

" **Labramon!** "

" **Dracomon!** "

" **Warg!** "

" **Melga!** "

" **Lalamon!** "

" **Tapirmon!** "

" **Cyberdramon!** "

" **Digivolve to...** "

The pillars of light all combined together, swirling around each other, looking like a tornado, and then the light burst, showering over the fallen people like a sprinkling of rain. They didn't wake, but they stopped twitching. A loud, powerful voice echoed over the sleeping neighbourhood, and it called for all to hear that our partners were now called: " **Forsetimon!** "

He shone in his place before Apocalymon, with Anubismon's oversized, golden wings outstretched. His armoured chest was silver and golden, but I could see that they were once Ophanimon and Seraphimon's, due to the symbols that had combined on his chest, and the guard at the neck was Seraphimon's as well. The silver and gold theme continued throughout his new body. WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon became shoulder guards, while GranKuwagamon's pincers extended forward connected to the angel's chest plate, near the neck, and were shimmering like the rest of him as well.

UlforceVeedramon's face became his own, under a helmet that fused UlforceVeedramon's with Plesiomon's stripes and covered Plesiomon's shock of now golden hair. Both arms were powerful, and white, with coiled golden vines from both Rosemons. His right hand was Phoenixmon's head, with her beak opened, so that Slayerdramon's fiery sword could emerge. Forsetimon's left wrist housed Valkyrimon's shield, and his hand was a cannon formed to look like GigaSeadramon's face.

A silver belt that could only be Justimon's broke up the golden armour, and held a white banner of fabric in place, which was clearly Piedmon's contribution. On the banner were golden trump symbols, the heart, diamond, club and spade were displayed proudly, over what looked to be symbols of some sort of eyes. Also under the belt, was Vikemon's tail, now silver and shimmering in the light that still danced around our partner.

His left leg was nearly completely MegaGargomon's doing, but Cherubimon was present too, with her holy ring, which was wrapped around his ankle. ShadowOmnimon had to be the culprit for the other leg, though it was gleaming silver, while MegaGargomon's was golden, and held the musculatures of HerculesKabuterimon on its thigh.

He was a masterful combination of all our partners, working together in perfect harmony. He bore all twenty-one Crests. I wondered if there had been anyone other than Theta that could boast the same. It was pretty awesome, I thought. And I still felt like I was one with him. I could feel all of the digimon individually, but it was different. They were there, but they were all perfectly in sync. I figured that meant they were as in tune with each other now as they had been when Gaia had formed them into that prism.

Gaia shrieked with rage at Forsetimon. I couldn't help but smirk as a dangerous sense of optimism sprouted up in my chest. Mari had been right. Gaia _couldn't_ foresee the end of this battle. There was no way in hell she could have predicted Forsetimon's appearance.

Then again, Autumn couldn't have either.

We _might_ not win, but I had a new burst of energy and hope racing through me. Our golden warrior of peace had twenty-two different mega digimon combined into one super force. I _had_ to believe that peace could conquer chaos.

In any case, I couldn't fight the grin that had made its way onto my face.

"Apocalymon," Forsetimon called in his powerful voice, "this ends now, just you and me to the end."

"My victory will be legendary," Apocalymon boasted, seemingly unaffected by the transformation. That worried me, but I didn't have time to focus on it because Apocalymon was floating his golden box into the air. He might not have had full range of his claws, but he wasn't letting that deter him. He'd let out his temper, and taken it out on everyone around us.

We couldn't let that go.

Apocalymon was in the air, and Forsetimon didn't wait for Apocalymon to make his way towards him. With a mighty effort, Anubismon's wings launched him into the air. He flew quickly, slamming into Apocalymon. The sound waves alone were enough to knock me off of my feet.

Apocalymon fell backwards, crashing into a building, which crumbled under his weight, sinking to the ground in a grand explosion of rocks and dust. The entire earth was shaking and someone grabbed my arm for support, but I didn't see who. Apocalymon flew out of the mess, and raced towards Forsetimon. The dirt was forming clouds, and my heart raced. The clouds kept growing, and I was losing sight of Summer and Spring in their fight against their mother.

It was hard to split my focus. I wanted to care about the fight with Gaia, but Agumon was up there, with Gatomon and all the others. I couldn't bring myself to look away for too long.

Forsetimon was thrown back, but caught himself before he could smash another building. He flapped his mighty wings and held Slayerdramon's sword in front of him, as he flew at Apocalymon, slashing at him. Apocalymon screamed, and one of his claws fell to the ground.

"He did it!" Michael cheered. "He broke through the armour."

"We can only hope his strength holds up," Neo said, being logical as ever, despite his generally pessimistic outlook. "Our partners do not have a strong history of holding onto their newest forms for extended periods of time."

"And Apocalymon has a _lot_ of claws," Kiyoko murmured. "I was thinking the same thing."

"So maybe he won't aim for the claws every time," Daisuke said, shaking his head, holding onto Kurayami's hand. "He'll go straight for the physical body on top of the box."

"He might not be able to," Kurayami said sadly. "Apocalymon is strong, and he's desperate to live. He's not going to make mistakes. He'll _know_ that he could win if he just bids his time."

"Then we'd better give our strength to our partner," Hikari said, pressing her hands against her heart, and glowing faintly, as she lent her strength to Forsetimon.

I wasn't entirely sure that I could do that. Hikari _did_ have a history of glowing and possessing literal light in addition to her Crest. But I figured I'd give it a shot, as I watched Apocalymon send his claws after Forsetimon, trying to catch him and forcibly split him back into a bunch of Rookies. I winced, when one got close to his foot, but he managed to evade them all.

"Good work, Kiyoko," Willis complimented, watching as Apocalymon bellowed in frustrated anger when the claws couldn't reach their target. Kiyoko flushed with the praise, and Hideto put his arm around his shoulders, before placing his free hand against his chest, and closing his eyes. Kiyoko noticed and copied him, putting both of his hands over his heart. Kurayami and Mimi were next. My hand was against my chest, but I didn't know what to _do_ in order to make it work—mostly because I didn't know if I believed it could happen for me.

But watching as a faint green light emanated from Mimi's skin, and soon after Hideto and Kiyoko were shining soft blue and purple, I realized that it _was_ possible. Then I wanted to slap myself, as Kurayami had a gentle, dark grey light coming from her, because of _course_ it was possible. I'd glowed once before, when I was giving up my Crest of Courage to the Sovereign, so I'd be able to do it again. I had the Crest inside of me, and all I needed to do was embody it, and let Forsetimon draw from it, and therefore from _me_.

It was strange, seeing an orange glow on my skin, but I didn't allow myself much time to dwell on it. I had to focus on Forsetimon. I could feel it when he started to draw on my strength. It didn't hurt. It just felt warm and like a gentle tugging at my core.

Forsetimon used Valkyrimon's shield to bash away one of Apocalymon's claws as he made his way close to Apocalymon again, before using his GigaSeadramon cannon to blast through the armour, and remove another claw. It too fell from the sky. It crashed into Katsue's car, popping the driver side door off, and nearly levelling the car. The door fell on Sora's Dad. Sora cried out, but he seemed to be fine. We'd be able to check once Apocalymon was dead.

 _Once Apocalymon was dead._

I had apparently lost all inhibitions about giving in to my more optimistic side.

 _Sora_ looked up to Forsetimon and nodded her head, before she too started to glow faintly of her Crest, shining in a deep pink light.

Apocalymon lashed out with two more claws—maybe in desperation because he noticed what we were doing, or because he was running out of options, I couldn't be sure—and Forsetimon kicked one away, using MegaGargomon's foot. Cherubimon's holy ring glowed, and Apocalymon's claw retracted quickly, fearing the purity of the light.

"Darkness Zone!" Apocalymon shouted. His second claw near Forsetimon opened, and gathered dark energy, before blasting it at Forsetimon. Valkyrimon's shield wouldn't be enough to block the attack.

"He means to delete him," Koushiro gasped, standing, and starting to glow a faint purple as he did so. Michael stepped forward, as did Miyako, both glowing now as well, as they watched with wide, frightened eyes as the black energy was unleashed.

"Get out of there!" Daisuke shouted, his voice drowning in his fear. He let out a choked laugh of victory, when Forsetimon stopped flapping his wings and simply dropped under the blast. The darkness flew towards the building Forsetimon had just saved from destruction, and completely obliterated it. There was a hole in the side of it, and it leaned dangerously, with flames spreading within. Smoke billowed in the air, mixing with the dust.

I lost sight of Apocalymon for a moment, and I feared that Forsetimon did too.

Summer and Spring were quite vocal, letting out screams and grunts as they fought their mother. Gaia was wearing armour, and was _still_ running circles around them. She seemed to be enjoying herself, rather than fearing she would lose. It was upsetting to say the least. Summer was sweating profusely, as she was fighting close ranged, while Spring was trying to use her command over life to grow vegetation through the crumbed street, and catch hold of Gaia. But Gaia was too strong to be contained, and too quick for Summer's fire to strike her—not that she would have come to any damage, thanks to her Yggdrasil armour. There was nothing that was strong enough to pierce through that. Or, that's what I had thought until Forsetimon came about.

"Come on," Jou murmured, anxiously tapping the fingers on one hand against his leg, while clenching his shirt over his heart with a fist. He glowed, as his eyes frantically searched for Apocalymon.

"Watch out!" Ken gasped, wincing as a claw shot out of the smoke, trying to catch Forsetimon. Forsetimon slashed it, cutting it off with Slayerdramon's sword. The heavy claw crashed into the already broken bridge, and slammed into the water, sending an enormous amount of water splashing over the fallen people nearby.

Ken and Daisuke began to glow, as Forsetimon summoned a storm of winds, spreading the smoke and dust around even more, in his quest to clear the air. Alice was on the ground glowing more than usual, kneeling next to Ryou, who had collapsed when he started glowing, but was stubbornly committed to sharing what little strength he had left after his jaunt as Justimon.

"Norn, can't you do something?" Alice asked, pleadingly. "There has to be _some_ way to help."

"I can't help if I can't see him," Norn said frantically searching the skies. "He'd need to be weakened too. And I'll need to be close to Forsetimon if I want to grant him _my_ power too."

That was easier said than done. Takeru, Mari and Willis all started glowing, hoping that more power would help in some way. I could feel Forsetimon's strength grow with each additional Digidestined. It was incredible how _powerful_ our partner was. I reached out to Hikari, and she took my hand, holding her other out for Takeru.

"Darkness Zone!"

Apocalymon's voice rang out through the darkness, and I couldn't find him. I was afraid of not being able to see Forsetimon get hit, just as much as I was afraid of _seeing_ it. I didn't like the unknown, and I didn't like the thought of him losing.

But it wasn't Forsetimon that Apocalymon was aiming for.

The darkness broke through the smoke and dust, and came down towards us. Forsetimon bellowed with rage, and Yamato began to glow, alongside Iori. The additional strength wouldn't help. Forsetimon was too far away.

Spring screamed, pausing in her fight when she caught sight of the large mass of dark energy. Gaia laughed, and bashed Spring against the back of the head. Spring was down. Summer was alone, and she wasn't going to be enough.

Norn raced out of the group of gathered Digidestined and threw her hands in front of her, purifying the darkness before it could hit us, leaving us with a refreshing breeze and an uplifting surge of energy, rather than a destructive force of evil.

Neo finally began to glow, as the winds died down. He was the final one. We were all connecting our strength to our partner. When the winds fell away, the dust began to settle. The winds had only made the fire burn hotter, but Forsetimon and Apocalymon were under the smoke, though it occasionally billowed between them.

Apocalymon was a mess. He had only three claws left. He looked lopsided, but he didn't seem to notice. Forsetimon was floating, only occasionally flapping his mighty wings. Apocalymon growled, and moved all three remaining claws together. They opened and he called once again "Darkness Zone!" and three beams of darkness flooded out towards Forsetimon. Hideto gently shoved Norn forward and she continued on her own with a blind determination.

Forsetimon held his place, gathering energy, and starting to glow in a golden light that was concentrated into a symbol before him, by his chest, looking like circle, with a three pronged trident of sorts, with three spikes at its base.

Summer screamed, as she blasted a large collection of fire at Gaia, who had gotten too close to Spring for her comfort. Gaia flipped through the air as she dodged it, sneering at her daughter for her "pitiful" control and generally "weak" nature. Spring was on her hands and knees, shifting into a crouch with her eyes closed, still fighting her general fear of her mother, even with her returned memories.

"Judgement Day!" Forsetimon bellowed, as he blasted the light he had gathered at Apocalymon. Norn moved her hands quickly, and the golden light became blinding white, crashing into the darkness Apocalymon had emitted and purifying it, as it continued towards Apocalymon.

Gaia landed, and launched herself through the air at Summer. Spring yelled as she lifted her hands purposefully off of the ground, and a thick white root was forced through the concrete and stabbed through Gaia's chest, tearing through the armour like it was made of nothing at all. Gaia howled as the tip of the root ripped through the armour in the front and out the back. Summer paused, while attempting to dodge, shocked and surprised at the sight of their mother hanging in the air.

Apocalymon was hit with the purifying light, and Gaia screamed as Apocalymon was obliterated. All of the chaos that created him was purified, and nothing remained when the light died. Not even a single one of his claws on the ground was safe from the light. Gaia's screams died, as she hung on to what could only be one of Yggdrasil's own roots. Her life left her slowly and painfully. Hikari cried, and curled against my chest, and I held her close, watching as Forsetimon landed in front of us, and broke into twenty-two pieces, and listening to Spring's horrified cries as she realized that her mother had died at her own hand.

The fear and chaos was gone. We were free to make our own destiny.

 **Next on Digimon Adventure 09:** And there you have it. The final battle is over. It wasn't as dramatic as it could have been maybe, but at least it finally ended. At least the battle is over for good now! Let's take it home with everyone getting one last final part in a chapter that is far too long for its own good!


	6. Long Way Down

**Y/N:** Wow, okay. I was all of the Digidestined that I usually am in this chapter, and it's ridiculously long, and I love so many pieces of it—and at the same time I'm afraid some of it is a little bit messy. I hope you like this final chapter, and I hope you enjoyed this second journey we asked you to take with us. It was long and winding, and a heck of a lot darker than the first. I know that the first trilogy had a pretty solid ending, and so we're so happy that you came with us on our whim of fancy. It was just a single question: what would happen if they didn't accept digimon right away? And now it's over a million more words connected to our fanfiction universe. We can't thank you enough for sticking with us through the incredibly, hilariously long stories, and we appreciate every review that you've sent our way.

 **U/N:** Okay so this chapter is as long as you could possibly imagine a "chapter" to be. But it's like obnoxiously long really. Everyone has a part—well all the Digidestined characters anyway—ultimately it's long and drawn out and the most conclusive thing you could imagine for the series.

That being said, if you go to my tumblr I might have remembered by now to put up a picture of Forsettimon. I'm not sure how lame it is that they all fused but it certainly made things easier on us for the battle. Anyway, there's a picture of him, I tried to colour it. It's a mess. You should go check that out if you can find my tumblr. I barely can, so, well, good luck. There are also other pictures I might put up of the kids. Not too relevant but I drew them so I may as well post them :P

Anyway so this is the end finally of the longest series in the history of fanfiction. Not really. Maybe. I don't even know. I hope that's true. If not I'll keep writing. I'll do it. I won't. I'm kidding. We're officially done. We've exhausted all possible threads of story and this is where we're leaving it finally. I hope you enjoyed the story all the way through—or at least parts of the way—and that this is a satisfying conclusion and that we hopefully didn't forget anything too important.

 **Title: Digimon Adventure 09: Free**

 **By: YukiraKing and UrazamayKing**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Digimon or its characters.**

 **Tri-pocalypse**

 **Chapter 06: Long Way Down**

 ** _Willis Kennedy:_**

There was a still sort of quiet that encompassed us all as we stood in the wreckage we had helped create. I felt an intense dryness in the back of my throat and my heartbeat had slowed itself as I stared to the place in the sky that had once been the cause of so much tension and anxiety. It seemed troubling that we were actually looking to something that was so dangerous but was now _nothing_ at all.

 _"Digimon never really die."_

Daisuke's words echoed in my head again and then a flash of Norn sending her purifying light up to Forsetimon overwhelmed me. Was it true that this could be Apocalymon's final stand?

I swallowed thickly and realized that Apocalymon was only the heart of our opponent, and there was still the empty and twisted shell that needed our focus. But when I glanced slowly backward I saw that was not the case. Summer's arms were wrapped around her crying sister and beyond them both was the impaled form of their insane mother. She was really gone then.

I didn't want to stare any longer than I needed to, but there was something horribly pleasant about the realization that Gaia was dead. I saw the way her thick shimmering hair fell down, gently blowing in the breeze that passed over us all. The thin but sturdy white root that had shattered the concrete blocking its path was embedded in her chest, and in the light of the setting sun Gaia somehow still looked beautiful, even in death. I could still remember the first time I had met her, and how scared Kiyoko and I had both been. I still remembered every moment of her manipulations and what she had done to Terriermon and Lopmon. I remembered how she affected me.

I could remember how tortured I'd felt while in Witchenly and yet I had not felt—until this moment—how deeply it had all cut me. I had been searching for a sense of stability and a place to call home all because Gaia shook my world and pulled everything out from underneath me.

I was not sad whatsoever that she was dead, and I didn't feel horrible to admit that.

My eyes slowly fell to the two crowns that had fallen from her head that were both lying on a pile of broken stone near her two remaining daughters. The golden ring that she wore around her forehead back in Witchenly was lying flat, but the bluish metal crown that had once belonged to our fallen friend, Winter, was on its side and had rolled further along until it had been stopped by a jagged wooden root that Spring had used in her fight against Gaia.

The rest of the street looked similar to that, where roots and stones were sticking up in horrendous angles with bodies strewn about in the worst way. The buildings surrounding us had not found a comfortable place of ruin to settle and were still crumbling slowly as if the fight was still happening. But it wasn't, and even though I _knew_ that, it was hard to imagine that it was the truth.

It was when I was hit around the middle that it really sunk in.

I looked down to where Terriermon was hugging me, and was climbing up my side, and a shocked sort of chill rushed through every part of my body and I was covered with goose bumps as he let out a small but victorious laugh.

I reached down and pulled him up to my chest to hug him more comfortably and in that moment everything truly made sense. This ruin was terrible, but it was the price to pay for Apocalymon's defeat. For _Gaia's_ defeat.

Terriermon was joined by others in his laughter, and then my chest gurgled with an unfamiliar confidence as I let out a strangled sort of laugh myself. And then there was cheering and yelling and I knew everyone else was letting the truth sink in as well.

I held Terriermon close to me as I scanned our team. Mimi had fallen to the ground to hug Palmon and was still favouring her wounded ankle and Jou was nearby with Gomamon cracking jokes that he had thought of during the fight about Apocalymon's many arms. Hikari and Taichi were hugging their partners next to each other and there were traces of tears in Hikari's eyes. Kiyoko was spinning in circles with Tapirmon and both of them were laughing with immense relief. Even Neo was smiling as his partner embraced him tightly and Hideto joined him a moment later with Warg and Melga who both tackled their friends, forming a big group hug. Michael was on his knees with Yamato and both of them had greeted their partners as they came to them, congratulating them on their hard work. Biyomon was talking loudly over the noise we were making and Sora was just hugging her and I thought she was probably ignoring Biyomon in favour of her sense of relief. Tentomon and Patamon were standing with one another as Takeru and Koushiro grinned down at them in amazement. Miyako, Ken and Daisuke were surrounding their three partners, each of them laughing loudly, and Iori was nearby, looking to them but staying far enough away to keep safe and comfortable while Armadillomon beamed up to him. Kura was patting Labramon on the head and Ryou was hanging from Cyberdramon's neck. Mari was nearby with Lalamon and I instinctively wanted to go to her, but there was someone else that needed my attention instead.

"That was so amazing!" Alice was saying to Lopmon who was still perched in her arms. Lopmon laughed with my sister and nodded along. "I've watched you so much over the years and I always rooted for you, but I never knew it could be _this_ exciting to be in the battle!"

"Surely you weren't only feeling excitement," I said, startling her. She looked back and rolled her eyes.

"Of course not," she said, shaking her head. "I was so scared and determined. That's mostly what I felt. I wanted to do right by this world." I knew that this couldn't last forever, but to hear my sister talk and share with me her inner thoughts was something I had wanted for a long time. I would never admit it to anyone, but I sometimes talked with her now that I knew she could hear me. I would simply talk aloud when I was alone and tell her about my day.

I didn't know how weird that was for her, but it was comfortable for me. But right now I could tell her in person. She was standing in front of me, but instead of telling her how I felt, I just moved forward and hugged her. It was the strangest hug I had ever experienced because there was no warmth coming from her body and weirder still, her body was hardly even there. I knew where the air stopped and her back began, and my hand rested there like it was on a flat surface, but I could feel nothing, like she wasn't there at all or my hand had lost all feeling.

Alice didn't seem to think the hug was strange and she hummed pleasantly as she pushed further to hug me, wrapping her free arm around my neck as Terriermon and Lopmon embraced us both from between us.

"Willis," Alice said into my ear. "It was so nice to get to fight by your side."

"Just like it should be," I said quietly, but Alice shook her head.

She finally pulled from the hug and looked up to me with a smile that was filled with only pain. "It was never _supposed_ to be like this. Surely you understand that by now, Mr Destiny." I knew I didn't want to hear what she had to say but I didn't stop her and chose to simply stare back with watery eyes and a thick lump in my throat. "Time doesn't move in one single stream. It is a complex series of rivers that lead to ponds or oceans or waterfalls, and nothing is linear or straightforward." She paused and then looked to Lopmon and squeezed her closer. "That being said, I'm dead. I died, and that simply _is_ what happened. Maybe there were ways to prevent that, but this is the truth of our world and our time stream. And the Autumn of this time stream knew that was going to happen."

"So there are different streams where you and I both survived?" I asked, trying to ignore the strange feeling in my heart and the single tear that escaped my eyes.

Alice shrugged. "Well I don't know that," she admitted. "What I do know, is that you and I stood side by side today, and we changed the destiny for this world." So Apocalymon really _was_ supposed to win. He and Gaia were supposed to defeat the Digidestined in this final showdown. "Gennai knew what was supposed to happen and he spent his entire existence trying to prevent this world from failing. He was doing all he could to save _you_ and your friends. I guess he just didn't know about Autumn's little trick."

I turned my head to where Mari and Kiyoko had joined Hideto and Neo's group hug. "Alias III," I noted.

Alice smiled and nodded. "Autumn knew what she was doing every step of the way." Alice sighed. "I am ashamed to admit that I once hoped that she would fail." I looked to her, furrowing my brows in confusion. "I was selfish, Willis. You were meant to die today, and that meant you would be with me. But the moment I had thought this terrible concept... I hated myself. For a long time. I now know how glad I am that Autumn took such serious measures to save this world." Alice's eyes fell to Lopmon and she smiled. "You need to be here to take care of Lopmon where I cannot."

Lopmon pressed her face into Alice's shoulder and hugged her closer again, and Terriermon slipped from my arms to hug Alice as well. I smiled to him and realized what Alice was saying. I was meant to die today. _Me_. Astamon was supposed to have killed me, and he hadn't. Mari had saved my life by changing the stream of destiny, and it was all thanks to Autumn. I also knew that Alice was gearing up to say goodbye, and I didn't want her to go.

"This is not my world," Alice said softly, planting a kiss on Lopmon's head. "And my adventure is far from over."

Lopmon looked up with wide eyes. "Take me with you!" A panic set in my chest—fear that Alice would say yes to Lopmon's suggestion, but I knew that this was selfish of me and I watched with narrowed eyes, scared that I would lose my best friend, but Alice slowly shook her head and I felt only a guilty sense of relief.

"You cannot traverse the lands I am heading to," Alice admitted sadly. "There are many people who need my help, and I am not yet ready to make this a reality." Alice had tears in her eyes now as she looked to the two digimon in her arms. I took a shaky step forward and hugged her once more, but when I pulled away from her I noticed that she was looking over my shoulder to the others instead. I turned too to see that they were all gathered and staring toward her. Alice let out a choked sort of laugh and she cleared her throat. "I... I have messages."

I rounded on her, confused but she didn't acknowledge me in that moment.

Instead she began to tell Ryou how proud D'arcmon was of him. Ryou was so much like Hiraga and she was so glad to have met him because he gave her hope that her son had not drowned in his sorrow. Alice told us how supportive Noriko was from above and how much confidence she had in us to win, and Hikari began crying softly as Takeru threw his arms around her. The messages did not stop there, and soon everyone had tears in their eyes because we had all lost _someone_. I could hardly believe this was happening, and I was sure Alice wasn't supposed to deliver news like this, but she had once told me she was a lot like me, and I would have done the very same thing.

And when she was done, she looked back to me for a moment and grabbed my hand. I nodded because I knew it was time for her to go, but I knew too that I would see her again someday. And then with a final kiss to Lopmon's forehead, Alice vanished.

There was another silence, this time filled not with crumbling buildings, but only by Spring's tears that had now been joined by the rest of us. Because the excitement over defeating Apocalymon and Gaia was gone, and we were left to look around at the destruction we had caused, and all of the people and digimon who had lost their lives in the battle.

Soon everyone was making their way away from our gathering, seeking out their parents and friends. I heard Mimi shriek in horror at the sight of her mother, but it had thankfully startled her into waking and Mimi began sobbing, relieved that her mother was alive. Miyako was pulling her brother's head into her lap and Ken had found his parents who had fallen together. I was _scared_ that these people were not going to wake up. How much pain had Apocalymon's Chaos caused them? This same twisted power had taken out the Olympos members before, and had done so again now. How could middle aged parents survive the blast?

I knew that my mother had stayed behind with the infants and injured allies, but my step-father was out here somewhere and I could see no signs of him as I scanned the crowds, holding a crying Lopmon.

Iori called out to Kurayami after some time and he pulled a large piece of paved earth aside, allowing it to slide and fall down Gaia's crafted tower only to reveal an orb of inky blackness.

Terriermon and Lopmon both gripped me firmly from either side and I was scared that we were looking at the remainder of our enemy. Perhaps we were not yet finished the fight. But Kurayami's face lit up and she rushed away from her father's side, leaving Labramon in charge of explaining what had happened. She climbed quickly and then reached out to the darkness and absorbed the true—pure and balanced—power that Gaia had taken from her so long ago. There was a flash of dark energy that began overtaking the crowd only for Hikari to counter it by glowing herself.

The pink light met the black and we all stared up at the perfect balance that we had all helped create.

 _Balance_.

The mixed powers seemed to stir life into the fallen forms around us and there were several excited cries that escaped those who I had once feared to be dead. Kae and Kazuya were embracing their son and Mantarou was already enlisting Miyako to help him find Dansei and Iruka. Keisuke Tachikawa was calling out for his wife, and Hiroaki Ishida was greeted by Natsuko Takaishi with a great big hug. The entire area was lighting up with life and everyone was finding someone they cared for to embrace. Jun found Daisuke while Jou and his brothers met nearby. The fight club was all gathering and Shuri was checking them for serious wounds. The Olympians were all together now, pleased with what they saw as Yuuko and Yoshie returned with Bagramon's form. The Olympians looked toward their old enemy and I was glad someone else would be taking care of him.

I heard a rumour that passed through the crowd about Sora taking Hideto and Puraido to find Yorokobi and take care of her.

"Why do you still _have_ that?" I heard Yamato ask with a big laugh as Katsue wielded her insane Yggdrasil blaster. She ginned foolishly and Amai laughed nearby with the Teenage Wolves.

"Would _you_ throw this out?" Katsue asked seriously, and everyone agreed that would be a mistake.

"Your car," Yutaka pointed out, using his thumb to gesture toward the shattered vehicle. "It's pretty dead."

Katsue looked to Amai and they both stifled laughter. "It's actually Mantarou's," Katsue said sheepishly. Monimon and DemiDevimon laughed as everyone else stilled before joining in as well. I looked toward the broken machine and realized it _was_ the same car I had used to crash into Astamon. It had been pretty damaged already. I was already planning to buy a new one for Mantarou—or to give him one of Michael's because there was no reason for him to have so many anyway—after the damage I had caused.

Mantarou had heard Katsue and to my surprise he laughed too and I knew it was because he had found Iruka who was hugging him tightly. Miyako had gone to greet Jou who was helping a wounded Unimon while Isao Kido lectured his partner on 'reckless behaviour.' The entire Yagami family was crowded just beyond them and each of them was smiling now, and it gave me hope that we hadn't lost too many lives.

I knew that wasn't true, but I had yet to recognize any of the deaths as someone I knew. It was selfish to think that it was better that way, but for this moment, that was how I felt. I was fully intending to help the families of those who had died here today. Just not right now.

Takeru was in front of me a moment later and he embraced me, laughing loudly. I was shocked, and hugged him back before I realized what was going on. It didn't matter that we didn't always get along. What mattered was that we had worked together, our hearts beating as one, to finally put an end to the battle we'd been fighting for far too long.

And then Takeru was gone, patting me on the back as he made his way toward his parents, nearly walking directly into Kiyoko and Koushiro as they both rushed over to greet Yoshie and Digitamamon as they made their return. Jun and Daisuke had found their parents and I was surprised to see their father smiling along with them. Meiyomon and Fumiko were standing with Iori—Fumiko's fingers itching towards him, only for Meiyomon to hold her back, as he noted Iori's lingering anxieties, despite the happy reunion—and Kura was back with her father and Labramon nearby.

Neo had found Evelen and Kansui and was helping his friends to their feet while Mari took Lalamon and Tapirmon over to the Olympians.

When Michael showed up, dragging his father along behind him, I felt a sense of relief. He was alive and okay. He grinned down at me and took Terriermon and Lopmon into his arms to congratulate them while Michael hugged me sharply.

"We did it, Willis," Michael beamed, messing up my hair.

"We did," I smiled back to him, seeing Betamon catching up. "Apcalymon is down for the count."

Michael nodded and looked back to the sky as if to make sure he wasn't coming back. "Any idea where Mimi and the others went when they disappeared?"

"Knowing Mimi—" I started, but Michael cut me off.

"You're probably right," he laughed. Mimi had a thing for that silly sapphire time travelling key. "You want to get out of here?"

I looked back to the others and saw them all doing their own thing with their families. There wasn't room for me there anyway. My family was here. I nodded. "Sure."

"Good," Michael grinned, "See Tatum's having a baby—and Jenna just _did_ and I'm kind of excited to get over to them. But I want you to come with me."

"Oh, is Michael scared?" Terriermon mocked him with a babyish voice.

"No!" Michael insisted.

"You _sound_ scared," Betamon noted and Michael gave in, laughing.

"I'm just nervous," he said with a sigh. And then, in a whiny voice he said, "Let's go see my baby!" And with one last look around the group I knew it was the best thing to do. This mess would be cleaned up by someone who _wasn't_ Digidestined. Our job was done, and the least the world could do to repay us for making our lives so difficult for so long was to clean up our mess.

"Alright Michael," I grinned, "let's go see Tatum."

 ** _Michael Washington:_**

"Louisa?" I asked with a dry voice, staring down to the grumpy baby in my arms. There was a yellow blanket wrapped around her and she had a funny sort of hat placed on her head. She was kind of gross, just like Clio had been—and still was—but she was beautiful all the same.

"You weren't here," Tatum admitted sheepishly. "I just named her myself, but I knew that you liked—"

"The Sound of Music," Jenna realized, a snort escaping her all at once. "You named the baby after that boring movie?" I shot a glare toward her and she backed down, but grinned at Chi who seemed to find it amusing as well. Though, in his defense, he found everything amusing at this point because the miracle of life was impossible to frown at.

I looked back down to Louisa and a warm feeling swelled in my chest. This wasn't just any bumbling baby. This was _my_ beautiful baby girl. My body began to tingle and my heartbeat picked up at the same time because I had quite conflicting feelings about being a father. I loved the idea of family, and I loved that this child had both parents and hopefully would for a _long_ time. I loved that I had helped create life and that it had gone so smoothly and that everyone came out alive and well. I did not like that I didn't feel at all ready for this, or that I had missed the birth.

"Michael," Tatum said sharply, pulling herself up to a sitting position in the bed, apparently reading my emotions well. "Michael, you're fine. You're okay—" I found myself ignoring Tatum's words and instead extended my arms with Louisa held at the furthest I could reach. Tatum quickly brushed her hair back and then took the baby from me with a sad look in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

I looked around the room and felt very exposed. I wasn't one to hide my feelings or to care about being watched and was probably the _most_ extroverted person I knew, but there were so many eyes on me in that moment. Willis stood by the door, watching with an amused smile while Terriermon and Lopmon hung from his shoulders. Dad and Mary were watching from the end of the bed, embracing each other softly. Natsuni and Goblimon were sitting on stools with Monodramon who, along with Goblimon, seemed so relieved that the birthing process was finally over. Both Kudamon and Betamon were waiting on the bed across from Tatum's while Jenna and Chi sat with their own baby, trying not to block the digimon's view.

"I can't be a father," I said in a defeated voice. "I can't raise a child—"

"Yes you can," Betamon said encouragingly as if he knew how 'easy' it was to raise a child and teach them moral lessons and always know the right answers and be a perfect role model and to never make any mistakes ever again for the rest of his life.

"I can't be a _father_ ," I said sharply once more. "Because I'm still a _child_."

The room was quiet for a moment and then Jenna shrugged. "I dunno, I'm doing fine."

"What, for the last six minutes since Clio was born?" Betamon asked, only to be elbowed by Jenna who just laughed at him.

Tatum reached out and took my hand and I knew what she wanted to say. She was going to tell me that she would be here for me, and that it didn't matter at all what I did because together we could raise a child. That was easy for her to say—even though she didn't say anything—because she was the intelligent one in our relationship. She was the mature one. She was the strong one—or maybe I could take _that_ one, I mean it was my Crest and all, but I wasn't anything compared to Tatum. I was just the jester in her court—I was the fool to her Queen and now she was raising a princess with that fool.

"Your mother thought the same." I was surprised to hear Dad speak, and it seemed everyone else was too because they all slowly turned their heads toward him in confusion. Mary released Dad's arm as if she were afraid it would be unholy to hold onto him as he spoke of his dead ex wife. "Autumn was always telling me that she was teaching you the wrong lessons. She thought that every time she tripped over her own feet she was showing you that she could not protect you. She thought that when you asked a question and she didn't know the answer that you would think she was stupid. She was afraid that her spontaneity and recklessness would slowly enforce safety in your minds, and that you would never stray from the easy course." He looked to Jenna and then to me and he laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "She was wrong."

Jenna smiled and looked to Chi who was nodding his head because it was true. Everything Mom had thought she was instilling in us was just completely wrong. When she tripped it showed me just how normal she was and how all adults could be challenged because they were not infallible—which I later learned did not mean 'not able to fall' but still worked in this situation. When she didn't know the answer it showed me just how much there was to learn and that I could never know it all and it taught me to always learn what I was interested in, rather than what everyone told me was important. And Mom never giving up and always trying new things taught me only to take chances myself, and if she hadn't taught me that lesson then I would not be standing here today, not with Tatum, or Willis even.

And I wouldn't have Louisa...

As I looked down to the baby who was now sleeping soundly in her mother's arms I felt a strange sort of connection. I knelt down next to her and ran my hand over her face and I knew that she reminded me of my mother. Maybe not in personality—I mean my mom slept sometimes, but this was hardly a great comparison—but in energy. There was something about Louisa that just reminded me of the way I felt for my mother.

Maybe it was okay to make mistakes every now and then. Tatum was naturally perfect anyway, so she could worry about being the normal parent. And together we could rule the world. Or at least raise a relatively amazing daughter and her five unborn siblings. But we were _really_ a family now. Tatum wasn't my girlfriend that I had been dating for ten years anymore—actually, okay she was, but she was so much more than that. Tatum was the mother of my child.

Tatum—the woman who had stuck with me through all of the craziness that I'd been through, learning about my _insane_ family tree, having to save the world, being infected by lust, possessed by the devil, that time I had to turn everything to gold and kept messing up by falling into fairy tale routines, and my little arrogance spree and so much more—was bound to me _forever_ through our little girl.

I slowly looked up to her and even though I was sure the others thought she looked tired and worn out, she looked _perfect_ to me.

"Hey Tay," I said, and she hummed a response, not looking away from the baby in her arms. "Do you want to get married or, I don't know, something?"

Tatum tore her eyes away from Louisa and looked me dead in the eyes, her eyebrows rising suspiciously. "What is this second option? 'Something'? What is that?"

"Also marriage," I said, a grin forming on my face. "You can choose between marriage, or marriage. Or nothing at all—it is so your choice."

There was a set of furious whispers from the doorway where Terriermon and Lopmon hissed their advice to Tatum. "Pick number two!" Lopmon suggested, while Terriermon insisted, "No, number one!"

Tatum seemed to be lost in thought for a moment and then she sighed. "Alright," she said brightly, "I want both number one _and_ two."

"That sounds fair," I grinned, leaning forward to kiss her. Mary was squealing with delight at the other end of the room and Dad came to join the two of us, congratulating us on our eventful day. Natsuni was already texting Hikari the news stating that Iori just wouldn't care. I took slight offense to that, but it didn't dampen my mood at all. That was when Willis wanted to know what had happened while we were fighting in the war and Mary gave us a pretty brief explanation. After we left with Mimi, who was determined to catch Gaia before she freed Apocalymon, Satoe and Keisuke Tachikawa wanted to get to the war too. Gravimon and Fumiko chose to go with them and that at least explained how they had gotten there.

"And that was when Tatum showed up," Mary said. "Rei and Momoe switched places with me because she could not come to Earth and help, so Natsuni, Goblimon, Monodramon and I got Tatum here to this hospital. Jenna and Chi came later with little Clio." And that was the end of her story. I had to admit that I was hardly paying attention because I was focusing on my daughter and my fiancé and life just couldn't have been better.

Tatum also filled me in on a rather climactic little venture that she and the others had experienced when Gaia had tried to get the Digimentals back for herself. Goblimon _and_ Kudamon had managed to evolve to their mega forms by using the powers they were protecting. I was already planning a trip back so I could see them in action for myself—even if that action was a tea party rather than a fight.

And that was when Spring and Summer both arrived, pushing past the doctor who was trying to get their information. Summer absentmindedly wiped his memory clean and strode through the door wearing her battle ready outfit. Her hair was messy and her face was dirty, but she had a smile on her face. Spring was smiling as well but looked much guiltier than her sister. Spring's hair that was usually messy did not look a lot different than it usually did, but there were a few clumps of dirt and stone hidden in her locks. Her dress was torn and there was blood staining her neck, mixing with the seemingly steady coating of dirt that covered her body.

"You left without us," Summer pointed out, patting Willis on the head. He looked over to her, amused, but said nothing as Spring stepped in, passing her sister. Spring had gone through a _lot_ today. Kansui had explained that Aesop had died, and he was very close to Spring. She had also killed her mother and received her missing memories back. Her mind may not have been perfectly stable just yet, but it was at least on its way to settling down. Not that the events of today would help her any.

Spring walked directly toward me and she fell, her dress seemed to inflate as she landed on her knees, looking down toward Louisa. The moment Spring reached forward Louisa's eyes fluttered open and she let out some gas and she looked like she was smiling. "She farted for me," Spring cooed, tickling Louisa's cheek.

"Louisa is a beautiful name," Summer said, her hands on her hips. For the smallest of moments I thought that there was something wrong, because we had not yet told her the name of our daughter. In that moment I was scared we would have to fight again, but I was filled with relief when I remembered Summer's ability to read memories. "Now, you haven't picked a middle name yet, I'm noticing. In my experience it's best to keep things organized and running smoothly, and I would suggest naming her now. That goes for you too Jenna. You're going to be very busy with your babies in the future, so naming should come first." She clicked her tongue and pulled a book from thin air. "Worry not, I've come prepared. I have a book of baby names and I just think that—"

"There's really no need," Jenna said all at once, looking to me. "Chi named Clio and Tatum named Louisa. I think Michael and I are able to think of some quick middle names."

"I've already got one," I agreed, nodding.

"Me too," Jenna smiled fondly.

"Autumn."

"Winter."

Spring and Summer looked to each other, and Summer nearly dropped her book, but slowly smiles overtook both of them and they turned back to the two infants that could finally stop causing so much pregnancy drama.

There were a few moments of collective silence as everyone looked to the babies, and while Spring fed some life energy into Tatum who could not have been more grateful, and then Summer announced her real reason for coming to see us all. "I promised Michael something, and you're all welcome to come along if he thinks it is okay."

I couldn't for the life of me remember what she had promised me, mostly because I was exhausted and thinking about Forsettimon and Gaia and Apocalymon, but I was alright with Summer taking me somewhere. And of _course_ I would let everyone in this room come along. "This is my family," I told her, smiling. "Of course they can come."

Tatum was excited to get out of the hospital and she handed Louisa to Spring who began rocking her gently back and forth as she gave some energy to her as well. Tatum quickly dressed herself and Natsuni excused herself, feeling a little out of place. I told her she could come anyway, but she wanted to get to Iori and I understood. She took Goblimon along with her, and then Tatum returned ready to go.

We were on our way out the door when I noticed that Mary was lingering behind. I stopped in the doorway and let Tatum pass me before I turned back to her. "Mary, come on." She looked hesitant still and I was pretty sure I knew why. These fairies were my mother's family and she did not want to invade. "Mary it's okay," I promised. "You're my family now. I want you to come. You're my mom." Mary's eyes were filling with water and she quickly agreed to come along, rushing toward me. I smiled as she met up with Dad on the way, but just as we were making our way through the front door, Tatum's doctor caught sight of us.

"Ms Jefferson!" her doctor called out. "You mustn't leave yet! You and your baby are not ready."

"She is in good hands," Summer promised, but the doctor seemed shocked and confused.

"I'm fine," Tatum rolled her eyes, ignoring the pleas of the doctors as Spring and Summer both extended their wings. "I have a family full of fairies to keep me safe." The doctor's face paled, and she looked ready to faint but Tatum just laughed and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and we were off, heading out the door.

Lucky for us Mr Smith was always on call and he came with a limousine that Dad bought to seem pretentious. It was a good thing he had too because we all wouldn't have fit in any normal car. When Louisa and Clio both began to cry, Mr Smith rolled down the divider window and barked out, "What is that horrible noise?"

"Doesn't he know?" Jenna asked, turning to face Mr Smith. "Oh that's so embarrassing for you. That's your voice, hon."

Mr Smith rolled his eyes and caught sight of the babies in the mirror and then sighed loudly as he was rolling the window back up again. He pulled into the driveway of Dad's house and I was a little sad that we hadn't gone to my own home so I could get some sleep, but I knew there would be time for that later.

Summer and Spring stepped out of the car, and Mr Smith was shocked to see them when he opened the door for us all. They were both taller than I was, there was just something about the fairies that made them grow tall. The women moved gracefully and purposefully across the lawn—for a few steps until Spring tripped and landed on her face. Mary and Dad were quick to help her to her feet as she laughed nervously.

"What are we doing here?" Willis asked, pushing Chi and I along as Tatum and Jenna followed along behind with the digimon.

"I'm not sure," I lied. Well, it wasn't _really_ a lie because I wasn't _sure_ and I wasn't going to get my hopes up, just in case. I didn't want to be let down by these fairies again, it just didn't seem fair. Instead, I followed them into the back yard and through the garden. We all slowed our pace as he passed by the tree that grew over Mom's grave and then finally Summer and Spring both stopped at the end of the dock that had been built in the Looking Glass. Surely my suspicions had to be right then. They wouldn't lead me on like this.

Summer and Spring both lifted their arms into the air and the water of the Looking Glass began to drain. In my hesitation Betamon and Kudamon both hurried forward, and Jenna gently passed Clio off to Chi as she ran after them to get a closer look.

"Michael, do you want Louisa to go in?" Tatum asked from behind me. I turned to see her and Willis who were clearly not coming along with me. I cocked my head and reached my hand out for Tatum to take but she shook her head. "Another day," she promised. "Today, this is for you. You and Jenna."

I understood. "No, you keep Louisa..." I knew I hadn't sounded convincing, but I was trying to express that I just thought she needed her mother. In all actuality, I just didn't feel comfortable holding her. At least not yet. She was so fragile and small and I was _me_. I was clumsy, and had poor decision making skills. I mean, what if I saw a really cool squirrel—was I supposed to set Louisa down on the ground to chase after it, or did I just run _with_ her? I didn't know the answer to that.

Tatum nodded and then Willis patted my shoulder. "Go for it," he encouraged me, and then I was off, running after Jenna. I passed by Mom and Dad and then stopped behind Spring and Summer who stepped out of the way to reveal a dirt staircase that led down into the depths below, just like the Looking Glass in the Digital World.

"After you, Michael," Summer smiled, pointing the way for me. With the gentle movement of her arm, three balls of fire shot down into the cavern, lighting the way for me. I didn't hesitate to pick up Betamon and hurry down the stairs with Jenna following behind me.

A memory of Jenna running toward this pond at Mom's funeral flashed through my mind. She had said that she'd seen Mom. Was she trying to lead us into this underground room? Jenna had seemed so sure and I heard Dad talking about therapy for Jenna to get over her mother, but that was before we knew about a lot of what we now knew.

I was excited to see what secrets Mom had thought to keep in her secret underground chamber, but I wasn't expecting to see what I found when I rounded the first corner. There was a small round room that had a single wooden table sitting in the center with a series of trinkets that Jenna and I had made her when we were young.

Jenna slammed right into me and apologized quickly before looking around and laughing at the large beaded necklace that she had once created. I felt a weird, _sad_ sort of happiness at the sight of it all, but I knew there had to be more in the chambers and Jenna knew as well. She took my hand and was stroking Kudamon with the other as he lay around her neck. She led me along, following the second orb of light and she glanced back to ensure that we were alone before she spoke.

"Michael," she said in a rather confident voice, but she was hiding her face from me. "I know you're scared to raise Louisa still. I know that because, well, you're you. I'm scared too. Clio is so small and she's so precious to this world. To every world. She is a symbol of unity between them all and it scares me because she's surely destined for greatness."

"She's your daughter," I reminded Jenna. "She would be destined for greatness no matter what."

"Shut up." It was exactly what I expected her to say, but it did not come with the annoyed laugh or eye roll that I had assumed it would. Instead she sounded sad, or _happy_ but I couldn't tell. She stopped walking immediately when we heard Summer and Spring making their way down the stairs to follow after us both. "I don't remember Mom, Michael. The reason I don't remember her is because I always had someone raising me. That person wasn't Dad, and it certainly wasn't all of those stupid nannies." I had a few painful flashbacks of those nannies that I tried to suppress. "It was _you_ , Michael. You're going to be a wonderful father to Louisa because you were always there for me, and I know that Louisa will admire you."

"Are you complimenting me?" I asked, just to be safe.

Jenna didn't respond sarcastically which completely shocked me and she simply nodded, looking straight into my eyes. "Michael, you showed me that growing up doesn't always have to mean that you have to be _boring_. You can still be _fun_ and creative and silly when you mature. Maturity has to do with the strength of your heart, and not your personality—not at all. That one lesson alone will be enough to make Louisa into the most amazing woman ever."

"Now I'm not sure if you're complimenting _yourself_ or not," I joked, and finally Jenna broke a smile out and she punched my arm.

"Shut up," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm serious."

"Thank you Jenna," I nodded seriously. "And you'll be an amazing Mom." She looked at me skeptically and I shook her disbelief away. "You're so much like Mom, Jenna. She was amazing, and so you'll be amazing too." Jenna didn't respond, and instead just smiled down to her feet as Summer and Spring caught up to us, taking our hands.

"You're moving so slow," Summer said as if she thought we couldn't tell that she had heard our entire conversation. She led us into a big room that was already lit by leaf shaped flames that seemed frozen in place to keep their shape. "This is the room you've all been waiting for," Summer explained. "It is your Mother's room of prophecies."

It looked pretty boring to me, but I wasn't really a fairy so maybe I was missing something. Or maybe I was supposed to actually pay attention to the pictures and words that had been carved into the walls and made into elaborate murals by use of wood, and metal and glass and gems. I started staring toward the furthest wall—though the room was round so it was really all one wall—and I saw an image of four familiar digimon standing before one larger golden one. It was Fanglongmon and his Sovereign.

"This is where your mother composed her thoughts about the war," Spring said, feeling the remaining energy from my mother. "She came here to clear her thoughts I think."

"That's right," Summer confirmed. "These walls hold the secrets to the Nine Great Evils and the terror they bring along with them."

Jenna and I immediately turned to start at the beginning. Above the door there was a violet skinned man wearing a crown and a thick and billowy cape. His attire was reminiscent of Sidhendor and I knew who he was, if not by his regal attire, then by the terrifying set of eyes that looked down to us all and the manufactured demonic wings that stuck from his back. Behind him there was a shadow of himself and in the hand of the shadow was a glowing red heart.

"Sigma," I said firmly.

"And he was the Great Evil of Sidhendor?" Jenna wanted to know. Summer and Spring nodded, both looking angrily up to the image of their father. I knew Summer and Spring had never been here, or they would have known who the Great Evils were before now.

I turned to them and cocked my eyebrow up, hoping to utilized Summer's power again, but she wasn't paying any attention to me at all. "Why haven't you been in here until now?"

"We had no permission," Summer said simply. "We promised that until Apocalymon's defeat we would never enter this room for fear of changing the course that your mother had set in place. She was strategic and organized." Summer paused. "Okay, _I_ was, and she came to me for advice." She smiled fondly. "I do wish she had been more specific. There are several changes I would have made in my answers had I known the finer details."

I continued looking around the room and was amazed at the intricacy of what I saw. Tatum was going to be so jealous that she wasn't already down here. I could already see her bringing a whole slew of her books down here to add the information that was written under each image to her field guides.

"What's with the wings?" Jenna asked, pointing above Sigma's head to a symbol of two magenta wings.

"That is the symbol of Sidhendor," Summer explained as if it were obvious.

"But only four of you ever had wings," Jenna pointed out. "That's super weird."

Summer realized this and shrugged her shoulders. "It was our belief system, you see. When one could master total balance within themselves they would be able to summon their wings. There must have been someone before us to summon wings, or the belief would not exist." I couldn't help but feel that Spring summoned wings without being at a perfect balance within. There had to be more to the story.

On either side of Sigma were the lands of Light and Dark. Under the light pink sun symbol that represented Heaven stood a horrifying image of Ogudamon, and standing under him were the silhouettes of the seven demon lords that had screwed with our minds before. Under the silver moon of the Dark Ocean was a terrifying man who I knew to be the devil. It was hard to forget that face—he _had_ kissed me before and all. Behind him was Kurayami's mother and even Dragomon made an appearance.

Next to the Dark Ocean mural was the Land of Dreams that was represented by a yellow cloud hovering over a pile of pink nonsense. I didn't know what that was, so I just moved on.

Witchenly was a purple star and it shone over Myotismon in all his different forms. I had never met the guy but I held a certain hatred in my heart for him since my mother had died while he was on Earth. I knew now that it wasn't his fault, but I still kind of hated him a lot.

A blue hollow symbol of the globe representing Earth gave away the next image that was engraved above a complicated image of a man and my heart fell as I ran forward. The image was bigger than I thought it was, and I placed my hands on the smooth glassy feet of the man. "I knew it!" I gasped. "It's Marshall!"

"That isn't..." Summer said awkwardly.

"That's Arnold, idiot," Jenna snorted.

I felt my face turn red as I staggered backward to look up again. "I _did_ wonder why he was so well dressed." Spring laughed at me, and I was pleased to hear it. She had been so sad before and I didn't want her to stay that way. She had a big future ahead of her. Behind Arnold were Diaboromon, Arkadimon and the Behemoth, all forming a sort of fan around the twisted man that had been involved with each.

I figured he _was_ pretty evil. I took a closer look at the materials that composed the mural. Mom wouldn't mind if I added Marshall—probably. Summer rolled her eyes at me, and I knew she was in my head again as we moved to the next image.

This image was the one of Fanglongmon and his Sovereign and Summer informed me that the complicated green symbol above represented balance, which was what the world truly was until Hiraga and Gennai had made their mark.

Next was an orange hourglass that represented Neverland and below that was a monster I could only assume was Millenniummon. Summer told me, that's how I made the assumption.

And finally, the red hollow circle that represented the In Between showed an image of Gaia with both Yggdrasil and Apocalymon behind her, representing her perfect balance. I had not yet gotten over our fight with her, and seeing it all sent chills down my spine.

I couldn't take my eyes away until Betamon spoke up. "Do you know what this means?"

"What's that?" I asked, forcing myself to look to him.

"We really _are_ done." He swallowed thickly, taking one final look around. He was right. We had defeated each of the evils on this wall—all aside from the unknown pink one anyway, but we knew that was Ryou's fight and not our own. "We did it."

Betamon's confirmation sent relief through me and I knew I would be able to get passed everything Gaia had done. It might take time, but we had actually done it. We had saved the world. We had been on top of everything, and we had a long way to go back to normalcy. It was a long way down from the heroes who saved the world, but I knew I was going to enjoy the ride.

I pulled out my phone and immediately began dialling Koushiro's number. He answered quickly, "Hey, Tatum and you should get to work. We've found some pretty exciting information."

"What's that?" Koushiro asked.

I looked to Betamon and grinned. "We did it."

"Yes, I'm aware," Koushiro said, confused.

"Shh!" I hissed. "I'm being dramatic!"

 ** _Hideto Fujimoto:_**

I wanted to go home.

 _God_ did I want to go home. I needed sleep. Someone could wake me up next year, and I might still want to hit the snooze button. I was exhausted—and it wasn't just physical. My mind was at its limit. I'd had to stretch my understanding of reality _way_ further than I'd ever expected. I'd had to accept that there were people out there who were capable of cutting their hearts out of their chest, because they were so old that death hadn't been a thing yet, and could just cut that heart in two and have incredibly powerful beings _grow_ from those heart-halves, who were capable of holding or disturbing the balance of all the worlds.

That's the thing that was hardest to accept anyway. I was totally able to accept that our digimon all fused into one giant digimon warrior. No. That was a lie. I wasn't sure how that happened, and it didn't even make any sense.

I didn't know all of the Crests. There was still so much that I needed to learn. It couldn't just be because we all embodied all the Crests like I knew Mimi believed. She'd said as much when she was explaining everything to her mother—before I had to wander off with Puraido to do something I wouldn't have wished on my worst enemy.

"There she is," Puraido said. His tone was sad. He pitied Yorokobi, but I couldn't bring myself to do the same. She'd made my life hell from the moment I was born. I'd taken away her precious 'youngest-child' status, and left her stuck in the middle. She'd hated that about me. I didn't know how to walk or talk or anything, but she hated me.

It didn't help that I was pretty sure _everyone_ in my family hated me. I couldn't even be sure I was actually my parents' child. I looked nothing like them—in my opinion anyway. I was the black-sheep of the family, though I supposed that was a good thing, because I was the _good_ one.

And wasn't _that_ just saying something.

I was a calculating, manipulative bastard. But hey, at least I owned it. And I'd saved the world so I was pretty sure I _had_ learned the major lesson about balance in the end.

"How the mighty have fallen," I sighed. I kind of wished I'd thought to bring Ken along, so he could arrest her for terrorism—or whatever it was called when one willingly worked with an evil megalomaniac hell bent on murdering all the people in both the human and digimon races. But I hadn't brought Ken. It was just me and Puraido after Sora had found her parents and run off to meet up with them.

And it was awkward as all hell.

"Wipe that grin off your face," Yorokobi snarled. She'd been crying, and was trying to rip her way off of the pole Palmon had tied her too. Her wrists were bleeding with her effort, and her usually somewhat pretty—I guess—face was covered in snot and tears, and her glasses were hanging crookedly on her nose. Her hair was a ratty mess, and had blood and dirt and sweat all through it. It was gross. And in the bottom of my cold, dark heart, I _might_ have felt a stirring of pity for her.

But then I remembered that she was the _only_ person other than Arnold that I knew for sure was willing to follow Gaia's lead and allow everyone to be killed under mind control, and had tried to kill us several times, and had tried to torture Sora, and had broken Mimi's ankle—or sprained it or whatever—and had chased Mari, Mimi and Palmon across the Digital World, and started a war against Yamato because he slighted her once, and tried to date my best friend, and belittled me at every opportunity, and tried to get me to publicly side with her and Mom by talking to a bunch of reporters.

Yeah, when I remembered that—on top of the years where I was young and impressionable and developed the worst self-confidence and self-worth issues I'd ever seen, thanks to _her_ , and the rest of the family—I didn't feel bad at all. I felt like the world was finally getting to see her as she really was. And for once, _once,_ I was the one standing tall with relatively awesome hair despite the battle I'd just been in, looking awesome and confident.

"I haven't tried," I told Yorokobi, allowing my grin to get wider, "but somehow, I just don't think it'll be possible. Now, there's probably an institute somewhere calling your name. You're not mentally stable enough to get sent to prison, which kind of sucks, because I used to _dream_ that you guys would all end up behind bars, due to some intervention on karma's behalf. But I'll take what I can get."

"Hideto," Puraido said, sounding exasperated.

"Who knows, maybe they'll be able to rehabilitate her, and she'll become a contributing member of society—after an incredibly _long_ and excruciating process, because seriously, it's unfair to ask miracles of them" I said, shrugging my shoulders, not feeling at all apologetic for feeling the way I felt. Maybe, when he'd spent his entire life getting crapped on by his entire family to the point where he unconsciously believed every word they said, and then spent years _trying_ to recover from it, then I'd take _Puraido's_ opinion into account.

As it was, _he_ had a long path to walk until he was actually in my good books. The main difference of course was that Puraido actually had developed a conscience and the others never did. Yorokobi actually might've managed the opposite—which I was actually pretty sure was impossible, but whatever. She had taken the opposite path, rather than trying to better herself. I could maybe forgive Puraido— _eventually_. I wasn't sure if I ever could forgive Yorokobi or our parents.

But I was a hundred percent sure that I didn't care about them anymore. Whatever lingering _need_ I'd had buried that made me think I wanted their approval was gone. I had Neo's approval, and Warg and Melga's. Mari, Lalamon and Tapirmon cared about me. Kiyoko _loved_ me.

And most importantly, I loved myself.

I didn't need them, and it was a very empowering thought. I was me, unapologetically so. I was someone that I could be proud of being, flaws— _numerous_ flaws—and all.

"Come on Yorokobi," Puraido said, reaching around to untie her hands. She let him, and made a big show of falling on him, crying into his chest, covering him with her gross bodily fluids. I laughed at the strangely _Neo_ thoughts that I was having, which just made Puraido sigh at me, upset by my lack of empathy. I shrugged. I wasn't Mari or Kiyoko. They were the ones that typically found reasons to be sympathetic.

"I don't know what to do, Puraido," Yorokobi wailed. "They'll lock me up and throw away the key. But they don't understand how strong her power is."

"You weren't under Gaia's power," I snapped. "You can't talk your way out of this one. You made your choices, now you have to face the consequences. You'll get medical attention, and a slew of therapists."

"It's not _her_ fault," Puraido tried to reason. "Mom and Dad were harder on her—"

"Not harder than me," I said, raising an eyebrow, daring him to counter. He sighed and shook his head. "She did what she wanted, but she was _good_ at it, so they let her continue. They gave her too much freedom. Was it her that got you all tangled with EVOLVE and Gaia?"

"Not entirely," Puraido said. "Dad worked with Rida and Arnold, so he was already involved, and Mom was willing enough. It wasn't until Arnold was looking to expand EVOLVE's reach that he asked after us. We followed suit. It seemed like a good idea at the time. They were _really_ convincing."

He stopped, looking down at Yorokobi, and sighing, as he patted her back, and she continued crying. I was going to say something—probably something insulting, just because I _could_ —but he gave me a sharp look and the words died on my tongue.

"Mom and Dad _did_ ask a lot of her," he sighed. "I was more pacifistic than they were. I was well rounded—a degree in biology, political sciences and history, as well as consecutive tennis championships—but I wasn't as driven as Yorokobi. They took advantage of that. They wanted her to seek out an advantageous match. And she wanted to carve out a name for herself in the process."

"And she lost her mind," I summarized. I still wasn't that sympathetic, but I could admit that _maybe_ she might've had a little bit of a hard time. I wasn't the only one with strict parents. We shared them, even if I was literally _hated_ by them.

"She made her choices," Puraido said, sadly. "But she's not the only one at fault."

"I _am_ right here," she said pathetically as she continued to sob. Puraido sighed, and started guiding her back towards the battle site. I couldn't help but wince at the thought of having Yorokobi have to see Gaia's lifeless body, still hanging in the air.

I was cruel, but even I wasn't _that_ cruel.

Thankfully, Merlin, Yume and Bitoru were left in charge of disposing of the body before we arrived. Yggdrasil's root was still there—because no one had anything strong enough to cut it down, other than Katsue, but she refused to shoot it down with her gun, because she thought it should be turned into a historical monument—but Gaia's body was nowhere to be found.

Warg and Melga ran to my side quickly, shifting me until they were between me and Yorokobi. I rolled my eyes at their antics, and flagged down Ken's friend Kimi. She was looking toward some of those older Digidestined, but she caught sight of me eventually. She wandered over, curious. I explained the situation, and she turned her narrowed eyes on Yorokobi. Kimi was forcing herself to remember the bad, because I could see how easily she wanted to fall for Yorokobi's act.

Kimi pulled out a pair of handcuffs and read the riot act. Yorokobi just continued to sob through the whole thing, and for a moment I thought that maybe, just _maybe_ , it wasn't an act after all, and Yorokobi was actually having regret and breaking down because of it.

But then Kimi closed the handcuffs around Yorokobi's hands, claiming that she had to follow protocol, because a judge would have to make the choice, not a lowly police officer. Yorokobi's tears dried up instantly, and she tried to dislocate her thumb so that she could get out of the handcuffs. When that proved to be too painful for her to actually go through with, she tried to just run away, but Ken caught her easily, before she could get anywhere. Puraido sighed, and wandered over, to try and calm her down.

I had no doubt in my mind that Yorokobi would get out of prison. She was _way_ too unstable for it. And Puraido would never stop trying to get her to understand the mistakes she made. He would visit her in whatever institute she ended up in. I also knew that I never would. It made sense that Puraido would want to keep his connection with her. He'd been on good terms with her since she was born. They were my parents pride and joy. They were two peas in a pod for a long time. They were close.

I wasn't. And it didn't bother me anymore. I wasn't going to stop him from doing whatever he felt was right for him, but I would do what was right for _me_ at the same time.

"Hideto," Warg said, pulling on my pant leg. "A bunch of people are going to the Digital World. We should go too."

"We _have_ to go, actually," Melga added. "Taichi said so. We're not actually done yet."

"What, is there _another_ secret world that has a Great Evil that needs taking care of?" I asked, rolling my eyes. I ran a hand through my hair, before I reached my hands down for Warg and Melga to take. I cast one last glance at Puraido and Yorokobi, and shook my head.

Warg and Melga led me to the gateway, and we passed into the Digital World, where there were _far_ too many people. I spotted Kiyoko with Taichi, working on his computer. Before my eyes, an entire village popped into existence, and Kiyoko was grinning at it. Taichi stood in front of the people gathered, and gestured to the village.

"There is housing available for all those who lost their homes during Apocalymon's attack. You can stay as long as necessary. Rebuilding may take some time," Taichi said.

"It _is_ however a priority," Neo added. "I will get in touch with all the necessary people, to make it happen as quickly as is logically possible. Kansui, I need you to start making calls."

"Right away, Roomie," Kansui said, grinning excitedly, glad to find that he still had a place in Neo's office. I rolled my eyes. Kansui should've realized that Neo had very little opinion of a person's temporary loyalties. Neo _had_ tried to take over the Digital World. There was a lot he could forgive.

"Hideto," Taichi called. Warg, Melga and I moved over to join him and Kiyoko. Mari, Tapirmon and Lalamon followed soon after, without prompting. Taichi led us into the forest, until we came across Gankoomon's ruins. Gankoomon was standing guard, with Evelen at his side, looking a little uncomfortably at the digivice in her hand. I smiled to myself. I knew I was right. I'd been able to see their similarities and complimentary differences. I'd known they were partners before she did, just as I knew Kansui and Hackmon were meant to be partners too.

"It's time," Taichi told us. We wandered into the ruins. He followed after us. Takeru and Yamato were inside, with Daisuke, Veemon, Hawkmon, Miyako, Iori and Armadillomon. They were putting the Digimentals they'd taken with them back in place, and looked to us.

"Come here," Daisuke said, looking to me. Warg, Melga and I walked over to him, and put his hand on the Digimental of Pride. Veemon's blue hand quickly rested on top of his. Warg, Melga and I were all hesitant, but we put our hands on it too.

Nothing seemed to be happening.

"Are we just going to stand here all day, because there are some digimon I wanted to talk to," I said. But then the Digitmental started to feel warm in my hand, and I pulled away, afraid I was going to get burned. When I removed my hand, I saw that the Digimental of Pride was no longer alone on the pedestal. There was a second Digimental bearing the Crest of Humility next to it. I looked to the others, confused.

"It's about balance," Takeru said. "Your Crests are special. They all had two people chosen to bear them. They never needed to be purified. They needed to be balanced."

"Thanks, Sherlock," I said, rolling my eyes.

It did make sense though. I knew that my Crest was just the corrupted version of Daisuke's. Ours were literally opposites. It was interesting to know that Daisuke _wasn't_ the superior version of me. He and I were equal.

"Theta's Crests were torn," Gankoomon said, as he walked down the stairs into the room. "But it was not you children that are at fault." I was unimpressed with his inference that I was a child, but I gave him a pass, since he was old enough to be Theta's own partner, before she died—like literally thousands of years ago. "Gaia split her heart. It was not coincidence that the light side of the Crests were integral to the defeat of the Peace, while the darker sides were instrumental in defeating the Chaos. The three Crests were foretold to be important, but what the Princesses were unaware of, was the purpose the bearer would be asked to complete."

"We're not mistakes then?" Kiyoko asked, hopeful.

"No," Gankoomon said. "Only you could have defeated the Chaos."

"Because we became a problem for Destiny," Mari said with a proud little smile. "We were unpredictable, just like the Chaos."

Gankoomon nodded to her. He might've said more, but Hikari came down the stairs, calling her brother's name. "Taichi! Jupitermon and the Olympos XII are leaving."

"NO!" I protested very loudly. I didn't have time to feel embarrassed. I was heading to the stairs, slipping passed Hikari and back into the open. I sighed, realizing I had to run all the way back to the refugee site. But I did it, knowing that Warg, Melga and most of the others—if not all of them—were following behind me. I raced to Jupitermon's side. "Jupitermon, you can't leave."

"Can't I?" he asked dangerously.

"You haven't met your partner yet," I said, gasping for breath. Jupitermon glowered at me, and Junomon moved quickly to his side, excitedly. "I don't actually know if he's _here_. He just had two grandchildren born. He might be busy. But Junomon, your partner's right over there."

"Who?" she asked, thrilled at the opportunity.

"Aimi Kido," I said. "You're the goddess of marriage and motherhood, and Aimi is Super Mom. She's got six kids, after her marriage, and I'm pretty sure those kids will all be married soon enough. There are kids involved and stuff." Junomon seemed unsure, but if she just gave Aimi a chance then she'd be sure to understand. I knew what I was talking about, I had talked to both of them and they were _perfect_ for each other.

"Do you know _my_ partner?" Merukimon asked, shyly. I grinned, and was soon pointing all of the Olympox XII to their partners. Minervamon, Lunamon and Coronamon, of course, already knew their partners. But Merukimon was soon introduced to Tadashi Inoue, Miyako's father. Venusmon was Haruka Motomiya's partner, though I'd needed to wait until Haruka became confident before I noticed the connection. Neptunemon was Sayuri Inoue, Miyako's mother's partner. They both had a stick up their butt, and were grumpy, opinionated and annoying. But they didn't seem displeased with their partnership. Marsmon was Manabu Motomiya's partner. Daisuke was shocked that his dad had a partner at all. But Manabu seemed pleased with the god of war. Bacchusmon was Mimi's father's partner, and he burst into tears of joy, happy to _finally_ have a partner of his own. Kazuya Ichijouji was introduced to Volcanusmon, and Coronamon was thrilled to know that his digimon guardian was partnered to his own partner's husband.

"And I?" Jupitermon asked.

"Michael Washington," I said, before hastily adding, "the senior, not the Digidestined," just in case he wasn't clear on who I meant. I turned to Plutomon and waited to see if he was going to ask. But he didn't. It occurred to me that he didn't think I _had_ found his partner. "Okotte, come and meet your partner, Plutomon."

Plutomon's eyes sought me out quickly, and I nodded. Okotte put his hand out for Plutomon to shake, and then I left. I didn't want to intrude on their first meeting. It was awkward when I'd met Warg and Melga, and my partners were a hell of a lot less intimidating than the Olympians.

"Great," Taichi said. "That was pretty awesome, Hideto. But can we go back and finish balancing the worlds now. It's kind of really important."

He led us back to the ruins. I didn't actually need to go, but I did anyway, because Kiyoko grabbed my hand, and was swinging our joined hands between us. Mari and Lalamon went down into the ruins, but Kiyoko stayed with me. Tapirmon, Warg and Melga all raced off to play, while we talked.

"Taichi's right," Kiyoko said, with a soft smile. "That was _really_ impressive. You helped so many digimon find their rightful partners. You know...now that everyone knows about digimon, you could probably make a career out of that."

"Match making?" I asked, smirking.

"You're really good at it," Kiyoko said. "You _always_ know when they're not the right fit." He paused, biting his bottom lip, and looking at the ground. He seemed to gather his courage, and lifted his head up to look me directly in the eye. "Are _we_ the right fit?"

"I like to think so," I said, embarrassed.

"Then..." Kiyoko's voice trailed off like he wasn't sure the right way to ask me, and then said. "Can we be in love again?"

I felt a smile grow on my face. "I'd like that," I admitted.

"Well, if both of us want it, then I think we should just be together then," he said. I grinned down at him, and he buried his face in my chest, to hide his red face, and his huge smile. I held him tightly against me, and wished I could hide my face, when Warg and Melga made quite a show of cheering, making Evelen—who was still hanging around, waiting for Gankoomon—smirk at me.

" _Finally_ ," Mari said, as she walked out of the ruins. "If I had to listen to another one of Kiyoko's confused rants, I might've had to take drastic measures. Now, Kiyoko, you and Tapirmon need to get down there. Only one more Digimental to split, and then the worlds will be balanced."

Kiyoko stepped away from me, letting our fingers linger together as long as he could before he had to let go. I knew I _could_ have gone down with him, but I didn't. Iori was having enough issues with having to touch someone else's hand without having an audience.

I leaned against the ruins, while Warg and Melga played. They gained new friends to play with, when Izumi and the other Original Digidestined wandered over, with Kurayami. Kurayami was talking with Labramon, Liollmon and Psychemon, who were all way more excited about the end of the fight than she was. Kurayami just seemed relieved, rather than happy. She'd found her baby, and Haruki was playing with her hair.

The ground shifted under our feet, and I knew that meant the final Digimental was balanced. I closed my eyes, trying to remind myself that _this_ was the end. The worlds were safe, the Digimentals were where they belonged.

"What?" Mari asked, sounding very confused. My eyes flew open, and a rainbow of light shot out of the ruins towards the six Rookie digimon that called the Original Digidestined their partners. Hyokomon flew into the air, and grew into a large red bird that Kurayami called Zhuqiaomon in a surprised tone. I knew that meant this digimon was one of the Sovereigns that I'd heard so much about. Yakiimon at Izumi's side, became an enormous turtle guy, that Kurayami named Ebonwumon. Kokuwamon, Jupei's partner, grew from a small metallic robot into an elongated snake-dragon with a helmet and chains. I learned this was Azulongmon. Tomoki's Elecmon grew from its small purple form into an oversized blue and white tiger, with a helmet, called Baihumon.

It was Liollmon and Psychemon though, that freaked Kurayami out, because the light hit them, and they were fused into one digimon, much to the surprise of their twin partners. Kurayami fell to the ground, landing on her butt in shock, and cradling Haruki to her chest. Her face was stuck in a mask of horror as Fanglongmon looked down at her.

"Hey Kurayami!" he said with a dopey, happy voice.

"Fanglo—" she tried to say, but her fear was choking her. But she noticed something about him, and narrowed her eyes on it. "You don't have wings."

"I don't?" Fanglongmon said, moving around practically chasing his own tail, trying to catch sight of the wings that clearly weren't there. Then he stopped and turned to Kurayami, confused. "Am I supposed to?"

"The Fanglongmon I knew did," Kurayami said, slowly.

"Oh, well he obviously wasn't a real Fanglongmon then," Fanglongmon said simply. "Because Fanglongmon aren't _supposed_ to have wings, true story."

Kurayami smiled, and before long she couldn't help but laugh outright, at the absurd difference between the two Fanglongmon, the latter of which joined her laughter. And I knew he was right. The Great Evil wasn't a real Fanglongmon. The fairies had told us that already. They'd made him when they found out the Sovereign weren't around when they arrived. They'd been waiting for peace to come. They couldn't protect it if it didn't exist yet.

And the Original Digidestined were their destined partners, which also made sense. They were chosen for a reason, and while they were all great at powering the Crests temporarily, it wasn't the Crests that they were meant to contribute in order to sustain peace. That was our job. They brought the protectors—the true ones, not fairy creations.

"Umm..." Taichi said. I turned to see that Iori, Gankoomon, Armadillomon, Tapirmon and Kiyoko had come out of the ruins, only to find themselves face to face with the Sovereigns. I was going to laugh at Taichi's expression, but the ground shifted once more under our feet, and Iori's face fell.

"What's wrong?" Armadillomon asked his partner.

Iori looked to the ground, and shook his head, clenching his fists together. "The worlds are separating."

"And?" Taichi said, confused, because he probably thought it was a good thing.

"Yume's going to die," Iori said bitterly.

 ** _Miyako Ichijouji:_**

Peace wasn't what I expected it to be.

I had thought, once upon a time, that we would be celebrating, and joyful. I'd thought that the day peace came would be the happiest of my life, and I would remember it fondly. And maybe a lot of the people of the world were able to think that way.

But I couldn't.

Peace had cost us all too much. There were eighty-seven human deaths during Gaia's human-digimon battle, and Apocalymon's appearance. We were still trying to tally the digimon loss. As far as we were aware, there were twenty-three deaths, but there may still be more. Koushiro was having difficulty figuring out which digimon were on Earth during the battle, to know which ones _weren't_ accounted for now. And that was only in the battle we were present for. The battle between humans and digimon was a worldwide event and the news was still talking it up as if it were a new thing. But it was the oldest war to ever exist. But it was finally over.

It was far more bitter than sweet, in my opinion. Mai would be able to grow up in a world without constant fear and unbalance. But that didn't mean that the human race was going to be peaceful completely as well. They would still have discord and corruption, just as they always had. The peace we'd fought for was simply peace between the worlds.

So much of my life had been dictated for me, laid out before me by someone else, and it wouldn't affect my daily life much. I could still get mugged on the street, or hit by a car. I could fall and break my leg. Peace wouldn't be able to stop that. And it was kind of disappointing, from the point of view of a mother. I wanted to know that Mai would always be safe, and would never be hurt by anyone, or anything. But I also thought it was logical. How could defeating Arnold and his creations make Earth a perfectly safe place? How could defeating Sigma—again, and again, and again—make Sidhendor safe? He wasn't even _in_ Sidhendor when he was being super evil.

It had been three days. And they were three of the longest days of my life. I spent the first day in a state of shock, with Mai, Hawkmon, Wormmon, Ken and Poromon. The second day, Kae and Kazuya joined us, and then later my parents came with Mantarou, Gotsumon and Iruka. Chiziru, Masa, Pumpkinmon, Kunemon and Dansei came in the evening. Soon, our house was full of people, and at first, I thought it was what I needed.

I felt useful, and I had a purpose.

But they left, trying to put their lives back together, after Gaia's evil schemes, and I realized that I had no purpose for my life. I'd worked to save the digimon, and then all of the worlds, for so long that I couldn't even imagine not having that weight on my shoulders.

I spent hours within my own head, feeling lost and hopeless, but Mai started fussing, wanting her mother, and Ken handed her to me, and my mind cleared. I had a purpose—and in my opinion, it was a heavier destiny than saving the world. I had to be a role model, and a teacher, and a nurse, and a shoulder to cry on, and a cheerleader in a crowd. With Mai, there were countless jobs in my future.

Looking at her face, I knew that I would always be a hero. I would just have a much smaller fan base—and that didn't bother me one bit.

"Are you ready?" Ken asked, disrupting my musing. I nodded, though it was a lie. Ken had Mai on his hip, and Hawkmon had Poromon in a baby sling across his chest, much to Poromon's embarrassment. Wormmon was sitting beside his collection of roses—one for each of us—waiting for me to come and carry them for him.

I fussed with my skirt, and made sure my shoes weren't scuffed, and picked up both the flowers and Wormmon.

We were nearly late for the service, and there were a lot of eyes on us when we arrived. We slipped into a sea of black, fitting right in with our own black attire. Every Digidestined was present, as well as Mary and Michael Washington, Jenna, Chi and Clio. Tatum was rocking Louisa's car seat on the ground beside her, and holding Michael's hand. Natsuni was holding Kana, and rubbing Armadillomon's back, while Iori sat, looking solemn next to them, unable to accept any comfort. Katsue and Amai were among the crowd, as were Evelen and Kansui.

Benjamin, Babamon, Jijimon, MetallifeKuwagamon, Leomon, Ogremon and Shinkoumon were behind us. Jupitermon, Plutomon and the other Olympians were across the aisle from us, with several rows of seating empty around them, as the Sidhendorians tried to keep their distance from the Rulers of Witchenly—though they hadn't been to Witchenly in a rather long time.

At the front of the gathering, Spring was sitting beside Bitoru, and Summer. They looked solemn, and it broke my heart to see them. They had all lost so much in such a short time. Aesop, Maugrim and Harmonia, Theta, Yume and Winter. There was very little left of the royal council and family. They'd even lost Morganna, and both of their parents, even if they were all a bit evil.

It hurt to know that there was nothing I could've done to save them from the hurt they were suffering. I wasn't in Theta's world when the majority of them died. I'd run through Winter's death so many times that I felt like I was going crazy. I'd tried to think of what else I could've done, but there was nothing. And Yume's demise was an unfortunate outcome of Akumu's destruction. Yume was created to balance the chaos that Akumu was made of. Without Zeta's curse, there was nothing for Yume to balance. His very presence tipped the scales in the opposite direction, rendering the world unbalanced again.

And so he was gone. Just like that. The world wouldn't allow him to remain—causing Summer more pain, on top of everything she was already feeling.

I couldn't allow myself to dwell on it, or I would fall into a dark place, trying to put myself in her shoes, and imagining life without Ken—which only made me cry uncontrollably.

"We are gathered today to honour the life of Queen Winter," Merlin called, needing to take control, because Summer and Spring were in no condition to do it. "Gaia took her crown, but she could not take her place. Winter was a great ruler, despite her short reign. She was the first true birth that the worlds have ever experienced, and as such, lived such a long life. It was cut too short, and there was much she intended to do, and will be unable to.

"Fate is often cruel, taking those we cherish. Alas, we cannot hold her hand. She takes those she deems necessary, and sets them free from this mortal coil that we find ourselves on," Merlin continued. "But Winter's life, while shorter than any of us could have hoped, was fulfilling. She was not idle with the time given to her. She was instrumental in bringing our worlds to peace. She assisted in uniting not only those here to honour her today, from all worlds, but in selecting two of the warriors that were vital in defeating one of the greatest of evils.

"But it is not her accomplishments that we are here to speak about, but her life. She spent a large portion of her life—"

Merlin continued talking, and I tried to follow along, but it was difficult. I had my own memories of Winter, and I understood her as a person. The Winter Merlin was describing was only a portion of her. She wasn't a list of accomplishments, meant to describe her entire life. But she was so much more than that. She wasn't _just_ a princess. She wasn't _just_ a voluntary prisoner in the Dark Ocean.

I had felt her presence rushing through my body when I fought against Bagramon. I felt her even now, as I sat at her funeral. I didn't need to listen to a speech glorifying her life, because I knew she would never really leave us.

She was too controlling for that.

She was a strong woman, who hid her lack of confidence behind bravado. She was continually fighting to be the best she could be, and somehow, she wanted to be more like _me_ than she was. It didn't make sense to me. There was so little to me, compared to her. She'd lived so long, and seen so much. I was practically a baby next to her.

She had travelled the worlds, and had done so before the worlds had been separated—the first time, though they were all separate once more. Even Neverland was whole once more, and was separate from all of the others. The key of Time wasn't just for the Tunnel of Time anymore. It led to an entire world, _and_ opened the Tunnel. It was so strange to know just how long it had been since Neverland was one complete land—and to know that Winter had been born _long_ before that. And it was a bit strange that we had _only_ Gaia to thank for bringing that world into existence.

Winter had accomplished and seen so much in her life, and while I never got the chance while she was alive to really get over the pent up feelings I had for her, I found that I was able to let go now. It was a slow process, but it was happening. Mostly, I was afraid of making her into an idol, and ignoring her flaws, and forgetting the little details that made her human—well...not _human_ , but an individual, maybe. My flaws in _addition_ to my strengths were what made me, _me_. I was afraid that I would do to Winter what Mimi did to Gennai.

I remembered exactly how disappointed Mimi became when she met Gennai again, and realized that she'd intentionally ignored all of the things she hadn't liked about him. She was blindsided by those qualities, and I never wanted to be blindsided by Winter.

She wouldn't be coming back to life, I knew that, and I accepted that, even though I hadn't wanted to. But I knew that I _would_ see her again. Alice had given me hope for that. D'Arcmon was with Alice, which meant that someday, Keiko would get to be with her partner again, and I would get to see Winter, and that poor little Chicchimon was out there, even if he wasn't alive.

It all made me want to cry. It wasn't _sad_ so much as it was beautiful. It gave me hope for the future. It wouldn't matter how long it took to see Winter again, because I knew that I _would_ see her—and Alice, and Chikara, and so many others. I wanted to give Noriko a great big hug, because she deserved it.

And it made me so happy to think that Harmonia and Maugrim had another chance at happiness, without Gaia being able to screw it up for them this time. The idea that Aesop got to be with his son again—his _real_ son, not Gaia's puppet—was so exciting for me. I didn't know how Aesop had managed to stay so strong and dedicated to his son after all he'd done, but I hoped I would be as devoted no matter what my children's futures held—though I was pretty confident that there wouldn't be any wannabe-queens that would brainwash them.

My fingers were crossed anyway.

"She spent so long in the darkness, it seems only fitting that now she spread her wings and fly to the light. She deserves it," Merlin said, bowing his head. I quickly bowed my own head, not knowing if we were mid-prayer, or what was going on. I'd been caught in my own head, trying to avoid the image in front of me. I didn't want to see the glass coffin—a-la Snow White and the Seven Dwarves—that housed Winter's lifeless body. She was beautiful, but it wasn't the same. Her blue skin didn't sparkle the way it used to, and it felt _wrong_ to see her so calm and still. She was always fretting when we were in the Dark Ocean together. She needed to keep moving, and I knew now that she was afraid that the darkness would catch hold of her.

But she was too good of a soul for that to happen—she was also magical, and that really helped, I was absolutely sure of it.

Even when I'd met her, ages ago, after I'd run away from home, hiding out in the library of all places, she had been moving books around, flipping through pages. And if her hands weren't moving, her eyes were. She was always on guard, always on the lookout.

I was a straggly little kid that thought she wasn't loved because no one had time for her, and somehow, Winter saw something special in that little idiot. I was so obtuse. I mean, I honestly thought Mantarou didn't know my name because he always called me "Squirt" instead, and I thought Dad didn't love me because he accidentally overlooked me one time. _Now_ I knew he was just in a rush, and that I was cared for, even though I was forgotten sometimes. I wasn't the only one. Each of my siblings had been forgotten a couple of times too—except Chiziru, but she was _way_ too loud to overlook.

I knew that _now_ , but then I didn't. I knew that Winter wasn't the regular librarian, and she literally told me that she could know everything I was thinking, without asking—which I now knew was absolute arrogance, and literally not true at all (unless she had Summer or Autumn's assistance)—but I never even _once_ thought to ask questions about it.

There was nothing in that scenario that told me that I would grow up to be capable of bearing the weight of nine worlds on my shoulders. There was nothing there that sounded like I would be one of three Digidestined to be able to stop Yggdrasil, or that I would be able to handle the death and the fighting, and the nightly torture—though I _had_ to believe none of the fairies knew about that, or I might've lost my mind.

There was nothing special about that little girl—except for how ridiculous she was—and there _still_ wasn't anything really special about me, even with my supposed Holy Three status. I was just a girl, that barely knew what she wanted to do with her life, that got married really young, and was in love with a guy she decided she would marry—on a whim, I must say—when she was twelve years old, had the bravest digimon partner in the world, and was mother to a beautiful, miraculous baby girl. I wasn't special at all, but I thanked Winter, with all my heart for thinking that I could be.

Without her, I wouldn't have Hawkmon, or Ken, or Mai, or any of my friends. I might never have rekindled my friendship with Mari if I hadn't been a Digidestined. I never would have caught Ken's eye if we hadn't been forced to work against each other—and then _with_ each other—when we were children. I wouldn't have my precious baby girl, I wouldn't have my job with Neo, working for digimon rights on Earth. I would probably be holed up in a room somewhere, bent over a computer, playing video games, and having panic attacks while the world was ending.

Winter had made everything in my life possible, and I couldn't thank her enough for that stupid decision she made so long ago. Maybe she had a good reason to see so much in me when there really wasn't much to show. The qualities she said she wanted to learn from me were there...I guess... It was hard to know for sure, and I couldn't ask her.

"We must say goodbye to a beloved friend, a wonderful queen and a great woman today," Merlin concluded. "And now, her sisters will lay her to rest, in a place she called home, but never got the chance to stay."

Summer and Spring stood, along with Bitoru, and Merlin used his magic to levitate the glass coffin. I wiped tears off my face, even though I had been _sure_ I could stay strong through this whole affair, and I stood up, as the coffin passed. Summer reached out and touched my hand, as she passed, and tried to smile.

"Come with us," she told me. "She would want you to see."

In the end, Summer selected an odd group, including Iori—for his and Winter's friendship in the Dark Ocean—the three musketeers of Armadillomon—for being loyal friends throughout her voluntary, yet seemingly eternal stay in hell—Taichi and Jupitermon, Benjamin, Michael, Jenna, and Wormmon—because she saw his flowers, and almost cried at Wormmon's kindness.

And of course, she wanted Hawkmon, Mari and I to go, because Winter had chosen us, and Lalamon, who was the closest thing to a child Winter would ever have, since she created her out of her own magic, and Mari's heart.

I kissed Mai's forehead, before scooping Wormmon and the flowers into my arm, and walking hesitantly after the floating coffin. It was difficult to keep myself from shaking, but Wormmon continued a stream of encouragement, as I tried to keep up.

We were lead through the courtyard, down a path, and towards the Looking Glass. Winter was being brought _home_ , and I pretty much lost it there, seeing the Looking Glass and the coffin together. I was bawling by the time I made it to Iori's side. He tried to look comforting, since he couldn't bring himself to partake in physical interaction, but it wasn't much help.

It seemed to be an unspoken agreement that Summer and Spring would be the only ones to enter Winter's home, but it felt right that way. I helped Wormmon place the roses on top of the glass casket, and bowed my head, thinking of everything that happened because Winter put her faith in a foolish child, and I couldn't help but whisper a final "Thank you," to her lifeless body, as Summer drained the Looking Glass, and both she and Spring entered, with the casket, deep into the ground.

 ** _Yamato Ishida:_**

"Mom, really," I insisted, "you don't need to sit me down to talk about this anymore. I'm not a kid."

Mom smiled from where she sat on the floor, folding laundry. As she lifted a heaping pile of comfy looking sweaters into the white basket that rested next to her, she rolled her eyes. Gabumon was drifting off to sleep on the couch next to her, having been excited to spend time with Lunamon, only to find that she had been pulled to Mount Olympos for official business as they took care of Bagramon.

I had taken him to come see Mom because she had been so persistent, but now that I was here I mostly wished I had gone out to help the others make sense of the mess in the city. I knew it wasn't our job and I didn't feel necessarily guilty for not taking part in the cleaning from the battle earlier in the week, but I still wanted to help, and talking to Mom wasn't going to make that happen.

"I'm not trying to treat you like a child," Mom said. "I'm sorry it comes across that way. I know you're brave and mature and wonderfully grown. I apologize if my words felt condescending."

"You barely said anything," I groaned, flopping my head back in the wooden chair I was sitting in. It was hard sometimes to have her parent me because I hadn't gotten the chance to really be raised by her, but she was certainly my mother, and that much was obvious every time she opened her mouth. "Just relax and tell me why I'm here—because I already know—and we can move on."

Mom's face fell at the realization that I might already know the truth behind our meeting. Her cheeks flushed and she nearly dropped her laundry basket. "I—well, your father and I are dating again."

"I know," I said, finally cracking a small smile. It was mostly based on the way she was acting of course. "I know you're dating him and I really just don't care. It's not my business. But I'm happy you're involving me in your life and the decision—"

"You and Takeru _are_ very much a part of my life," Mom said seriously, finally placing her basket on the table I was sitting at. She knelt down in front of me and took my hands. "But you were not a part of our decision. For so long I was dancing around you and your brother but I think that taking you out of the equation, for even that one moment, was enough to show me the path I needed to take." I didn't even feel offended that I wasn't on their minds when they made their decision. But Mom wasn't the person I needed to be talking to about this. "I am so happy you are okay with our development. If you hadn't been, this would be the end of it. I wouldn't hurt you like that, and I wouldn't hurt your brother. But I'm happy, Yamato..."

"I know," I told her, squeezing her hands gently. "And I know he's happy too. I saw him yesterday and he was humming love songs everywhere he went." I wasn't even upset that the songs he was humming weren't my own. "You two have been through a lot with each other and with Takeru and I... and now with the Digital World. I don't want you to do something that's going to hurt _you_."

"I would never," Mom promised. "Not again. When we dated first, we were so young and too naive. We had not developed enough. When we tried again we were the same people because we had been too stubborn to think about how we may have been in the wrong, and in the end we never changed our ways."

I was confused, but I wasn't planning to say anything until Mom saw the look in my eyes and cocked her head, pressing for my thoughts. "I just—I mean, why would it work any better this time?"

"Ah," Mom nodded her head and finally stood, choosing to lean back against the table as she looked up to the ceiling. "Eight years ago your father and I chose to engage in a three year relationship that went nowhere because we were too afraid to talk about the fights we had when we were young. Again we were at a standstill and unable to develop or grow. Yuudai helped me learn, just as Fumiko did for Hiroaki. I know you were not comfortable with those relationships—"

"I'm sorry," I interjected, feeling a swelling guilt build up in my stomach.

Mom shook her head. "Don't be," she insisted. "You were always right. You have a pretty special ability to see who is meant to be together, and it's just too bad people choose not to listen to you." She sighed. And I felt a different sort of guilt rising in my chest. "I'm so glad you're not upset by this new relationship," Mom said, "but what about _you_. You haven't dated anyone since Amai."

I looked to her like she was insane. "Mom, I was circling the Earth's orbit. I'm sorry but what was I supposed to do? Call random numbers until a girl agreed to date me even though I was literally out of this world?"

Mom laughed, and rolled her eyes once more. "What about Sora? What ever happened with the two of you?"

 _"Sora, you didn't go," I had said nervously as I held her in my arms._

 _Sora smiled and shook her head gently, looking up to me with those beautiful brown eyes. "Of course I didn't." I let my eyes fall to the ground as I thought. She had done this for me, and I appreciated it, but I feared for her. She could have escaped if she had just_ gone _. "Why would I leave you here when you've waited so long for me to come around?"_

 _And then Sora came toward me quickly, kissing me. Of course I was surprised, but not unhappy._

I swallowed thickly and looked to my mom's back as she headed to the kitchen. I laughed and even I could hear now nervous it sounded. I cleared my throat and then said, "Honestly, I don't know. I just want to be myself and let life play out the way it's supposed to." Mom stopped in her tracks and looked back to me with her eyebrows raised. She knew it was nonsense and she certainly wasn't wrong.

 _I found Sora staring toward the body of Gaia as everyone was crowding around to pass over to the Digital World. She looked to me when she heard my footsteps and she looked around, tried to smile, and failed. "Did she deserve this?" Sora asked, looking back to the woman who had been so intent on killing us all._

 _"I don't look at it that way," I said, taking my eyes away from the crazed glassy orbs that were once the window to Gaia's dark,_ dark _soul. "It isn't about what Gaia deserved. Think of all those she hurt and all the worlds she tried to conquer and alter. Did the worlds deserve Gaia to survive? Did the populations of_ all _worlds deserve her hatred and anger?"_

 _"No," Sora said confidently, reaching over and taking my hand. We were standing so close together that I almost thought it was an accident, but she slipped her fingers in with mine and squeezed. I squeezed back. "You're right. This was the right thing." She looked up to me and shook her head. "But it's still quite sad."_

 _I nodded and stared back into her eyes for a moment until Jun Motomiya bumped into the two of us, nearly knocking us off of our feet. "Oops!" she stammered as she turned around to face us. Sora and I both instinctively pulled our hands apart before she could see. "Sorry! Have you seen my husband?"_

 _"He went that way," Sora said helpfully, pointing off toward the mass of survivors. Jun smiled and patted Sora on her shoulder to show her thanks and then she ran off, ignoring how awkward the two of us had been. Sora was already looking down to the arm Jun had touched and I saw the lines that had been traced into her skin._

 _"Sora—"_

 _She pulled her sleeves down. "It's nothing," she said flatly. "I don't want to talk about it. They're just cuts. They'll heal with time." It was true. They weren't simply_ cuts _necessarily, but they would heal much more seamlessly than the scars on Miyako's arms would. I didn't want to let the cuts slide, but Sora was determined enough to change the subject entirely. "I kissed you."_

 _"I know," I said, a smile forming on my face. "I was there."_

 _Sora smiled at my joke but seemed lost in her head a moment later. She paced back and forth before turning to me and placing her hands on my shoulders. "We have tortured each other again and again, and everyone has been expecting us to be together, and over time I started to feel that I was avoiding you_ just _because I wanted to make decisions that others thought I might not make... but now I'm scared what they'll say if we don't last."_

 _"Sora," I smiled, pulling her into a hug. "We've only kissed. We haven't made any real commitments. I want you to feel comfortable. How can I make that happen?"_

 _Sora pulled from the hug and looked to the people who were too busy to pay attention to us and then her eyes fell on Gaia's lifeless form once more and Sora's eyes bulged like she'd forgotten she was there. She gripped my arm and dragged me a few paces away from Gaia like Sora was scared to let her in on the secret. "Let's stay private. For now. We need to know what this is between us... if we don't know, how is anyone else supposed to?"_

 _"Sounds good," I agreed, even though I wasn't quite sure I understood._

So of course I felt terrible for lying to my mother, but what else could be done? I wasn't about to break Sora's trust for something as small as coming clean to my Mom. She'd know when I was ready, just like she had kept her budding relationship with Dad a secret—as if I hadn't noticed. I wasn't sure if being gone a year and then returning to them being so close was the reason I knew since I hadn't had the chance to see their gradual inclination to where they now were, or if maybe they were just incredibly obvious. Either way, I didn't care because I was happy for them.

Both of them.

"Is Dad available?" I asked Mom. She responded but I could barely hear what she was saying. I groaned again. "Mom, you can't walk away and still expect me to hear you!"

" _What_?" she called from another room, startling Gabumon to waking up. "The ketchup is in the refrigerator."

"I'm going to call him!" I shouted back to her, amazed at how little she had heard from me.

"You have to move stuff around!" she called back. "Did you move stuff around?"

I just ignored her as I dialled Dad's number. Gabumon came to me and climbed into my lap, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Then finally Dad had answered his phone with a quick greeting. "Hey, Yamato, I'm just about to meet up with Takeru, so—"

"Mom just told me," I said quickly. "She told me everything." That wasn't true. I hadn't even heard how it happened, not that I wanted to. "I just wanted to genuinely apologize. I don't think I ever did."

"Apologize?" Dad asked. "For what?"

I sighed because I knew he already knew the answer to that, but I also knew he was going to make me say it. "I'm sorry for being so selfish and thinking your life had to revolve around _me_. I'm an adult and I shouldn't have treated you that way. I'm sorry your relationship with Fumiko didn't work out, and I know that no matter what you say, I was a part of the reason why. I was angry and stubborn and I shouldn't have been so negative. You're just trying to be happy, same as I am."

"Thank you," Dad said, and I could hear that he was smiling.

"I guess sometimes I forget that you're a person too," I told him quietly. "You're my dad. You're on a different level and it slips my mind that you have your own feelings and thoughts sometimes. It's rude, I know, but I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let your attempted development hurt me so much."

"Hey, listen," Dad said, and he was still smiling. "Your brother just got here, could we talk over dinner maybe. I'd like to hear more about how you were wrong and I was right."

"Dad, stop," I groaned, but he just laughed.

"See you tonight?" he asked.

"Of course," I assured him. "And good luck with Takeru." Again Dad laughed because we both knew Takeru was only going to be ecstatic about the news. He had only ever been optimistic and caring and appreciative of the steps our parents had to take in order to find their own inner happiness. He was a better person than I was, but I was okay with that.

Dad and I said quick goodbyes, and then I extended those to my mother, who was finally done with her laundry. "I have some things I need to get done," I had said. She understood and hugged me once before I left. It was strange, but I actually didn't mind this time.

It was surprisingly warm, which I was pleased with. The winter air had finally died off and we were entering the best time of the year. The early springtime. Life was blooming around us already in the flowerbeds and in the trees. Animals were returning and the people were leaving their houses, no longer hiding from the cold and also from the inter-dimensional wars that they had all been dragged into. It felt good to finally be on our way to a better tomorrow. Sure there was always going to be strife, hatred and challenges to get through in each and every world, but we were finally able to say that we had found a sort of blissful resting place.

Five years ago we had thought that Yggdrasil was the final fight, and at the time it had seemed _so_ final, but this was different. We had true confirmation that we were done and there were no lingering questions about who came from where and what their motives were. We were one hundred percent in the know and we were _truly_ finished.

I passed by the fight club on the way to the bus station and they stopped to talk to me a bit, explaining how they were happy to help. I was glad, and I wanted to help too, but I had promised to help in a different way. Gabumon was by my side the entire way, staying mostly silent, because he knew that was the mood I was in and he rested his head on my arm while we sat on the bus. A kind lady thanked him when he stood to give her his seat and then she allowed him to play with her baby.

"He's cute," the woman said to me as her baby laughed at Gabumon's silly faces.

"He's the best," I grinned. I was so proud of everything we had done over the years. I was ashamed of the way I had acted in several circumstances, and it was largely my fault that he had been caught by Gaia at all. If I hadn't begged to separate the worlds then it may never have happened. But we had made it through everything and our friendship was as solid as it ever could be. He was my best friend, and even if I was still a bit scared that something might happen to him, I was so glad that he was able to walk freely through the streets without constant belittlement.

And I was still practically glowing with amazement and pride that he and the others had managed to evolve to Forsettimon. It was definitely the coolest thing we'd ever done as a team. I had spent the last few days drilling the image of the shining knight into my mind because we were surely never going to see him again. It was a bittersweet thought.

Mostly sweet of course, because the balance the worlds were now feeling was definitely worth never seeing our partners fusing again.

When the bus stopped at the next stop the woman took her baby away and Gabumon returned to sit next to me. I knew he had heard our small conversation about him, but he wasn't about to say anything. I just hoped that he knew I wasn't lying when I said it. He really _was_ the best.

When we had finally got home I saw that the others had started without me. The front door was open and Yutaka was carrying a large box through. He stopped when he saw me and he grinned, but then continued along his way. Gabumon and I hurried up the front steps and stopped the door as Akira tried to close it.

"Oh, hey," he said apologetically as he stepped away. "Katsue's in the kitchen."

I thanked him and let Gabumon go ahead.

My house had been turned into a rather elaborate station for those who needed help from the war. Mimi was doing the same at her restaurant and she demanded that I follow suit. I didn't mind of course, my house was in a rather populated area and if people needed help then I was glad to give it to them. We were here to talk about what had happened, and get over the trauma—and to ensure them that they would not be slowly poisoned by being touched by digimon. We also had food and drinks and activities and educational speeches—which were to be made by Akira and Yutaka so I wasn't sure how _educational_ they would be, but it didn't matter. They knew the basics.

And anyone was welcome— _that_ was the best part. We were trying to create a community that extended beyond RISE and its associates. _Everyone_ should belong and be a part of our group. The goal was to render RISE obsolete because there shouldn't have to be an underground group designed to love. We were hoping that the entire world could find it in their hearts to love the digimon as we did.

Gabumon nearly tripped over DemiDevimon and the two shouted in shock at the idea, but they both fell into laughter and we gained a tag along as we slipped into the kitchen.

"I don't care," Katsue was saying to Takashi who had his head hung low. "If you think it should change then change it yourself, I just don't have time."

Katsue was wearing a pencil skirt and a blouse and I knew she had just come from work, and judging by the look of Amai she had as done the same. Amai was wearing a baggy grey t shirt and ripped jeans that were coated in colourful paint and her hair was pulled back out of her eyes as she ate a tiny cube of watermelon. She looked absolutely adorable as she watched Katsue take control of the situation at hand.

"And you can tell Yutaka that he can stop trying to micro manage," Katsue told Takashi, "and you can just stop complaining about _everything_ you abominable gummybea—"

"You're being mean again," Amai noted, her mouth still full of food.

Katsue paused and nodded without looking away from Takashi. "Sorry, just go away." Takashi nodded and turned. His face lit up with he saw me and I patted his shoulder as he moved past me and into the living room. Katsue caught sight of me too and her shoulders slumped with relief. "Oh good, you finally decided to show up."

I glowered at her but she didn't seem to notice. Gabumon and DemiDevimon joined Amai who pressed a finger to her lips to make sure they didn't tell Katsue that they were eating the watermelon that was meant to be untouched, but Katsue was lost in her own head.

"I moved your cabinet to the garage because it was in the way," Katsue informed me. "And I broke a porcelain plate but it was ugly and you probably will never use it anyway." She was right of course, but her quick words and sharp decisions told me that something was wrong. "Where is Monimon? He's supposed to be back by now with the footage! And oh my god, I have to change!" Katsue stormed off, wiping her flour covered hands on her skirt as she went.

I noticed that she had been baking cinnamon rolls, but was obviously getting carried away. "What's up with _her_?" Gabumon asked.

"Her mom is coming," Amai explained. Gabumon looked _shocked_ , like he hadn't realized that Katsue had even _had_ parents. I snorted at the thought of what might be going through his head. "She's getting better around the whole _gay_ thing," Amai explained, "but Katsue doesn't think she'll ever be a proud parent."

"What's not to be proud of?" Gabumon wondered. "Katsue is smart, and ambitious and pretty and she's a _hero_!"

Amai giggled and patted Gabumon's head as he grabbed another handful of watermelon cubes. "I agree," Amai sighed. "Her mother is just a tough cookie, that's all."

"Where do you think Katsue learned it from?" I asked, trying to remember all of Katsue's mean spirited nicknames.

 _Pillsbury-Dough Turd._

 _Tubbers._

 _Mashed Potato Pants._

 _Lumps the Clown._

 _Psychotic Pile of Sticks._

 _Lovesick Man-Child._

 _Yentl, the Holiday Elf._

 _Megalomaniacal Demon Spawn._

And the list only went on and on and on from there.

Amai ignored me of course in favour of Gabumon and her own partner who were both very interested in what she had to say. "Katsue's mom made a lot of mistakes, and she just wants to make sure that her daughter doesn't make the same ones. She hasn't, and she never will, but I think her mother sees a lot of herself in Katsue." It was weird how intelligent Amai could be when she wanted to be. "Do the lines on that watermelon look like a penguin to anyone else?" And then there was that side of her too. Amai was great.

"What about Katsue's dad?" Gabumon asked. I already knew that her father wasn't in the picture—I just didn't know why that was. Katsue had never told me before. Amai shrugged, and Gabumon understood. So even Amai didn't know what had gone on with Katsue's dad. I was sure she'd get more information than I ever could, it would just take time. "So what were you painting out there?" Gabumon asked, pointing to the large splatter of blue paint on Amai's jeans.

"Mm!" she exclaimed, swallowing the fruit that was in her mouth whole. "I didn't tell you!" she looked to me and ushered me closer to include me in her story. "I've been asked to paint a big Angemon painting!"

"Oh," I said, not sure why it was important for me to come closer for the news. I was very excited for her though! She wanted nothing more than to make a career out of her artwork. "That's amazing, Amai. Good for you."

"You should paint the sash pink," Gabumon said, tickling DemiDevimon as he thought about Piddomon instead. DemiDevimon giggled, clearly agreeing with Gabumon.

Amai shrugged. "I can't." She seemed annoyed by this. "I asked him if he would mind if I painted the sash like a rainbow and have Angemon coming out of the mouth of a tiger on the moon, but he said he wanted a very straight forward 'Dark Angel'."

"Who does?" Gabumon asked while I was caught up imagining the picture she had wanted to paint. I had to admit, I kind of wanted it.

"Oh," Amai said, miming slapping herself in the forehead. "I forgot—that's the funny part. It's the old Ambassador. Rida." Gabumon began choking very suddenly and I slammed my hand on his back to help him out, but found myself just as shocked as he was. Amai was nodding, dropping the fruit that Gabumon had hacked up into the sink. That wasn't where _I_ would have put it, but I wasn't about to ask her to pull it back out. "Yeah he came to me and I thought he was going to arrest me. I guess they finally found some proof that it was me. I think—and I could be wrong—but since the Director and the Digital Man hung around this one girl who perfectly matched the description of the Artist, that maybe that was the clue that brought them my way."

"I think that's fair reasoning," I grinned.

Amai beamed, pleased with her thought process. "Anyway, he said he had to pay respect to the digimon since they saved his life. Who would have thought that the meanest man in the whole world would be my first client?" Amai sighed. "Did you know that his birth certificate actually states his name as Greasy McGravy Pants?" Gabumon and I looked to each other in disbelief and Amai shook her head, with her hands in the air. "I know, I know, it doesn't sound real, but Katsue said it, so it could be true." I doubted that, but I wasn't going to say anything. I was hoping for that rumour to spread. While I was glad Amai was getting money for her art I wished it was from anyone aside from Rida. He had been against us from the start, initiating the virus, and he was part of Aneko's torture as well as Taichi's and Neo's. But everyone deserved a second chance, and if he could prove himself to be a better person, then who was I to tell him not to change?

When I heard a knock on the door Amai's face fell. "I'd better cut more watermelon," she said in shock as she stared to the mostly empty tray. Gabumon agreed to help her as I slipped away, trying to get to the door. Katsue was barrelling down the stairs though, throwing Yutaka out of the way.

"Don't answer that!" she shouted. "My mother hates you Yutaka!"

"You met her?" I asked as I caught him from Katsue's throw.

Yutaka grinned and nodded. "She told me that I was the reason doctor's sterilized people and that it was a shame my parents hadn't thought about the surgery before I was born." I felt my jaw drop open slightly at the thought and I was suddenly afraid of what she might think of me. I had grown numb to Katsue's nicknames, but she never meant them in a terribly mean way and the most common name she called me was "Rockstar" and that just wasn't so bad. I wasn't sure if even Katsue's humour could prepare me for her mother.

But when Katsue opened the front door it was not who she was expecting and she seemed overly relieved. "Oh, Sora," she said, clearing her throat. "Hello."

Sora smiled comfortingly, because she could see that Katsue needed it. She was only half dressed and Sora immediately stepped in the door to take control. She thrust a bucket of cookies into Akira's arms and then took Katsue's arm, dragging her up the stairs. "Let's get you cleaned up."

I thought I should probably do the same if Katsue's mother was so strict, and I followed them up the stairs. Katsue and Sora enclosed themselves in the spare bedroom next to my own and I was about to leave them be when I heard their voices.

"Why are you helping me?" Katsue asked.

There was a pause and Sora said, "I'd like to think that we could be friends."

I felt a smile grow on my face at the idea. Sora hadn't liked Katsue much, but if anything were going to happen between the two of us she would have to learn to like _all_ of them. They were my best friends, and I needed them in my life just as much as I needed Sora, but in a different way of course.

When I finally decided I looked presentable enough I stepped out of my bedroom, catching sight of Katsue making her way down the stairs dressed in a nice dress that was lacy, but not frilly. Sora was standing at the top of the stairs and smiling at me. She was beautiful. She was wearing a yellow cardigan over a white shirt and it just looked so _natural_. She was far better with fashion than I ever would be.

"Is there a special lady coming?" Sora joked. "Do you have to impress someone?"

I nodded and her face fell for a moment. "Katsue's mother." Sora snorted and rolled her eyes, taking me back into my room.

"You know, you don't need to be _that_ dressed up," she insisted. "Let me help." She got to work, heading into my closet for something more suitable. I had chosen to wear the suit that Takeru had picked out for me to wear to his wedding, but now that Sora had mentioned it, it did seem a bit much. "There is so much unused closet space in this room," Sora noted. "I think it's time for a shopping spree."

I shook my head. "I don't need any more clothes," I said. "I was just going to leave all of that empty."

"Your whole house is empty," Sora said, looking around the room to the shelves that each had one or two things on them. My room consisted of a bed and a desk. There really wasn't much going on and she was right about the rest of the house too. "It's funny, I have the _opposite_ problem," she said. "I have too much stuff—" She hesitated and her voice sounded choked for a moment. I was unsure if I had done something to cause this and immediately began checking around for something that might have upset her but she caught hold of herself quickly. "So, did you tell your friends?"

"Tell them...?" I asked.

"About us," Sora wanted to know.

"I haven't told anyone," I said honestly.

Sora nodded, surfacing from my closet with an armful of things. She handed them to me and I saw a blush rise in her cheeks. "Well, I've been thinking..." she said twiddling her thumbs together. "I think I know what I want. And I don't know if you want the same thing, but if you do, then I'm ready to tell your friends. My friends. _Our_ friends."

I smiled, and leaned down, planting another kiss on her. It almost felt strange to be able to do this after waiting so long, but Sora didn't push me away. She kissed me back and then pulled away with a big grin on her face. She excused herself and left me alone to change, but just as she was closing the door I added, "And then maybe one day all of your clutter could come and fit comfortably in the empty space in my house."

Sora pushed her head back into the room and smiled, "We'll get there."

And I really had no doubts that we would.

 ** _Ryou Akiyama:_**

Sometimes I wondered if everyone forgot that I wasn't done. There had been several group outings, and dinners, celebrating our eternal freedom, but I was celebrating a lie. I wouldn't be able to celebrate until I'd defeated the final Great Evil. I had no information with which to identify this final evil, but that didn't bother me. It would happen when it happened. There was no point worrying about it.

Plus, Cyberdramon and I could fuse now, so that was awesome. It would've been better if Cyberdramon wasn't so volatile, and difficult to work with. He didn't want to do what I said, and I didn't want to do what _he_ said. He was still a Great Evil under his new exterior, and there were definitely moments when that fact shone through. He'd slaughtered Morganna, even though it hadn't been necessary.

I could only hope that by the time I found my team—whoever they ended up being, and whatever time period it was—that Cyberdramon and I were on the same page.

As it was, Cyberdramon and I spent a good portion of our time out in the streets on Earth, in Sidhendor or by the remains of the Temple in the Digital World. It was easier to forget that everyone's dreams were coming true, while I was still stuck in this endless nightmare.

No.

I couldn't think so pessimistically. I wasn't my father. I could find the bright side in any situation. It was one of my best qualities—in my opinion anyway. I didn't like the idea that I would fall into my father's life. I didn't want to be like him.

But I did want to be _with_ him.

I forced the decidedly not happy emotions out of my mind. I didn't need to dwell on them. I didn't miss my dad. That was crazy talk. I was just collecting stories to share with him when we saw each other again—assuming he'd be able to recognize me when we _did_ finally meet up.

But we probably never would, because I was growing more confident that I'd entered an alternate time line when I came back, and therefore would never see _my_ dad when 2027 came along. That was fine though. I didn't _need_ to have my dad, or my mom, or my friends, or my house, or my _life_. I didn't need them. I'd lived a really long time without them. I knew I _could_ keep doing it. But I was tired.

I was a kid. I wasn't supposed to be saving the world, and travelling through dimensions, trying to find a place to belong. I _had_ a place to belong. I hadn't necessarily appreciated it while I had it, but that didn't make me miss it any less.

It helped if I kept busy. I made a point of being a part of as many volunteer teams as I could, in order to clean up the streets of Hikarigaoka. Every day, I dedicated the hours between eleven in the morning and one in the afternoon to serving lunch in the survivor camp that Taichi and Kiyoko had set up. I helped to block off the site of the Temple, while Taichi, Kiyoko and Benjamin tried to figure out how to rebuild it. I helped Daisuke put up a memorial for the lives that were lost in the fight against Gaia and Apocalymon, and helped to find the parents of the scared children that had been lost in the initial trip between Earth and the Digital World.

But today, I was in Sidhendor. It had been five weeks since Apocalymon had been defeated, and I was just as lost as I'd always been—no. Not _lost_. I was simply having an adventure—an adventure that would never end.

There was something for me to do in Sidhendor, and I found it relaxing to throw myself into a world I'd never seen before, and just immerse myself in their culture. Mimi had let Cyberdramon and I stay in the wooden cabin that she, Michael, Lopmon, Tatum and Hideto had called home.

It was nice, to be away from all of the celebrations. It was easier to keep myself in my regular state of mind. I was open to trying anything. I was friendly with everyone, and always found a way to make myself useful.

There were children that needed entertaining while their parents tried to restore the village to its former glory. The castle guards were working tirelessly, and they hadn't even started to fix up the castle. Once the kids went home with their parents, I would spend hours each night with a bucket and a scrub brush, on my hands and knees, trying to wipe all traces of Gaia's stay from the walls.

Summer often worked with me, though she never spoke a word.

I didn't blame her, but I did worry. She had always been so kind and friendly to me, and now she was just an empty shell of her former self. I knew she was grieving, but since I'd never really done it myself, I didn't know how to help her.

"That's not necessarily true," Summer murmured, making me drop the brush I was scrubbing a wall with. I looked to her in shock. She honestly spent a lot of time being silent that I often forgot she was even there with me.

"What's not true?" I wanted to know.

"You've had to grieve," she said. "You avoid it, but you've lost so much, Ryou. Don't belittle your losses, and don't compare them to my own."

"I don't have any siblings, and I've never had a boyfriend," I said, confidently. "You lost both of those things all at once. I didn't."

"But you lost your mother and your father," she said.

"So did you," I said, but she didn't seem too torn up about that fact. I didn't really blame her. I'd thought me and my dad had a bad relationship, but I definitely had a new appreciation about his choices of punishments. I'd rather be grounded than locked in a tower, or killed, or whatever Sigma might've done. I could live without a puppy, if it meant that I could be with my dad again. He was prickly, and he was annoying, and he was so pessimistic it practically hurt, but he loved me, and I loved him.

"There you go," she said. "You figured it out."

"Figured _what_ out?" I wanted to know, trying to act nonchalant about the tears that were forming in my eyes. I didn't need to cry. Crying wouldn't make anything better. It wouldn't change anything. I was stuck in the past, and I still had ten years left before I could go home.

I was starting to think she was just reading my mind—which I belatedly remembered she _could_ do—and was just expecting me to read her mind in return. I didn't know how to do that, so I was stuck trying to read between the lines. I was _pretty_ sure she meant that I had lost my entire life when I tumbled into the past, and I'd been pretty good at compartmentalizing my feelings. I was doing a pretty good job, I thought, at not acting like an emotionally unstable teenager—despite the fact that that's what I was. I tried not to throw myself too many pity parties.

There were so many good things that had come my way because of my time travel. I knew myself _really_ well now, after so many years of life. I was a pretty wise teenager, though no one ever took me seriously because of my age— _if they only knew_. I had met so many great friends, and bonded with so many digimon. I'd met Gennai, who was practically my grandfather. I _never_ would have gotten to meet him without time travel.

D'Arcmon was a pretty big positive about time travel. She'd cared for me, and looked after me, without ever telling me that she was my great grandmother. I wish that I'd known, so that I could've done something special with her or something, but we'd had a good time together, in Neverland, and I treasured the memories I'd made of her—especially the one where she yelled at Gennai, demanding that I be allowed to stay in the Digital World where my life had at least a _chance_ of not falling apart even further.

And of course I loved Cyberdramon, even if he _was_ temperamental and unnecessarily cruel at times. He was the other half of me.

"We haven't been fair to you," Summer said. "You are often overlooked."

"It's not intentional," I said, ruefully. "I'm just a guy that's around sometimes. I wasn't exactly fighting at their sides their entire lives. They're all such good friends. I'm just fourteen, and they find it hard to bridge the age gap."

"I know," Summer said. "You're older than you look, though."

"Just like you," I said with a grin. She looked pointedly disapproving of my words, but I'd only spoken the truth. I never would have expected that Summer was more than thirty at the most. She could probably get away with claiming to be even _younger_.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Summer joked. But she grew solemn again, like she was afraid of being happy without Winter and Yume around. I was sad for her. I only had to wait ten more years to see my loved ones again. She wouldn't even have that chance. She shook her head and looked at me sadly. "Why do you have to be so _good_? You've taken everything that life has thrown at you with grace. You don't seem like it's holding you back. You don't let it define you."

"It's happening _around_ me," I said. "I might have some input on what's happening, but I don't have to let it get me down. Mom used to say I was more dependable than the sun. I could always brighten her day. I just don't let things get to me. I can't change what's happened, but I can find something good, no matter how small, and pull myself through to the other side."

"Well," Summer murmured, thinking aloud. "Apocalymon is gone, and so is Mother. That's something good. How do I pull myself out of the pain, and the sadness? I didn't feel this lost when we lost Autumn. I felt like she was all around me. I always had her visions and her words documented. When I missed her, I could turn to them."

"Yume knew better than anyone how dreams worked," I suggested. "Maybe if you just hope hard enough, he'll come visit in your dreams. He was made of all the positive energy right. That energy is still there. Maybe it will only work through dreams now."

"I can't sleep forever," Summer sighed.

"There are a lot of Armadillomon that spent most of their lives with Winter too," I offered. "They probably miss her just as much as you do."

"I should talk to them," Summer agreed. "I can't be selfish. I know I'm not the only one that's hurting. I could talk with Spring as well." She sighed again, and fell into silence. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to keep talking or not, but since she wasn't speaking, I chose not to. I just put more energy into scrubbing the castle.

We needed to get the whole thing cleaned before May rolled around, and it was already April. It was a pretty big place, considering only Summer and I were cleaning. We couldn't mess around. And then, once the castle was cleaned, I could find something else to focus on. And eventually, whenever all the jobs were done, I had to hope that I wouldn't have too long to wait before going home.

"No," Summer said, shaking her head. There were frustrated tears in her eyes. She looked up to me. "I'm not happy. I'm miserable, but that doesn't mean that _you_ have to be. You've done your part. You came and brought the trust we needed to get rid of my mother. You dealt with Millenniummon, and you gave up so much to be here. I can't make myself happy, but I _can_ give you what you want. You're role has been played. You can go home. I can do that for you. I won't leave you here for ten more years. You don't deserve that after what you've done."

"Do you mean it?" I asked, embarrassed because my voice broke when I was asking the question. I was afraid to hope she was being serious. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I wanted it so badly. I was tired. I was too young to be so tired—too young _physically_ at least.

"Next week," Summer decided. "That will give you seven days to put everything in order. No one will be the same when you see them after you go back. They'll have lived ten more years, while you haven't. It won't be a _real_ goodbye."

"More like a 'see you later'," I agreed. "Seven days, huh? I think I can manage that."

And I did. I spent the next seven days with the people that had affected me the most—aside from D'Arcmon, since it just wasn't an option—and found that it was scary to know that I was heading into the future. They could all be very different when I saw them next. They might not even remember me.

Mimi insisted that I stay on Earth with her for my last week in the past, and made a point to make overly elaborate meals each day, probably trying to make up for the fact that she was the reason I was stuck here in the first place.

My last night came both faster and slower than I was expecting. The anticipation of going back home was making the week crawl along at a snail's pace, but the fear of losing these people that I'd grown to care about sped things up. It was confusing, and I didn't know how to feel.

But for my final night in the past, I was camped out in Mimi's living room with Cyberdramon behind me, letting me lean against him. Palmon and Tentomon were on the couch, sitting on either side of Mimi. Koushiro was in an arm chair, not allowed to sit with Mimi for a reason that I was never interested in figuring out. Veemon, Hawkmon, Armadillomon and Wormmon were all leaning against me and Cyberdramon, whispering stories with each other, about the times that we had spent together. Ken was lying on the ground, pretending that he wasn't focussed on the digimon's stories, by making sure that his eyes never strayed from whatever movies Mimi was marathon-ing.

It was both weird to be relaxing with so many friends, and very welcome. Talking with them took away the fear, even if it was only temporary.

I was still terrified that I'd be going to a different future than the one I'd left.

But eventually, I fell asleep, sprawled out, half on the floor, half on Cyberdramon, with Wormmon curled on my chest, and Veemon's head on arm. Hawkmon was practically on top of Armadillomon, who was snoring at my feet.

When I woke up, Mimi made one last oversized breakfast, and handed me my 'journey' clothes, as she called them. I put them on, and at once felt more comfortable. I knew these clothes, and they assured me that my journey wasn't over. I was ready to fight in them.

Cyberdramon and I intended to leave immediately after, but Uncle Tadao had knocked on the door. He was standing there, looking sheepish and awkward. I surged forward and hugged him, even though he didn't really know _me_ , and just held him for a minute, losing myself in the familiar feeling of his warmth, letting him ease whatever remaining fears I had.

"You'll be fine," he assured me and even though he sounded sure, I knew he didn't know the truth. "I brought you something. I know I should've been more supportive. I should've talked to your father—"

"It wouldn't have helped," I told him, putting a bright smile on my face. He handed me a small box, and I opened it, excitedly. "It's a knife," I said, surprised, holding the jackknife in my hands, feeling the smooth, stained wooden handle, and experimenting by opening the blade. It was sharp. I cut my finger immediately, but just laughed at Uncle Tadao when he tried to fuss over the small knick.

"I figured, your life is really dangerous," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "A knife might come in handy."

"I'm sure I'll do something important with it," I told him, though I couldn't imagine what I would be able to do with it. I hugged him again, and he patted my back awkwardly. "Sorry," I murmured, pulling away.

"No, don't be," he said. "I just, I'm still having trouble imagining you and the kid as the same person. I _know_ it's true, but the logic is still confusing. You'll have to tell me about your adventures when you get back. I'm sure I've been keeping your time travel a secret for a _long_ time."

"Tadao, is...is Whamon okay?" I asked, hesitantly. He looked shocked, but nodded, and I was relieved. Whamon—who was totally _not_ a boat like I'd thought—was still around before I'd gone back. That meant there was a chance I was actually going _home_ , and not somewhere that I would have to learn to think of that way.

Uncle Tadao didn't stick around much longer, and Cyberdramon and I were hugged by Mimi, and several others, before we headed to Sidhendor, where Summer was waiting. She held the key to the Tunnel of Time, and smiled softly to me.

We stepped through a gateway into Neverland, and I was surprised to see how beautiful it was, now that it was whole again. It wasn't just a forest in the Digital World anymore. Piximon's training grounds, and the river of time were here, with the clock tower I'd heard was in Witchenly not long ago. The forest surrounded us, and at the base of the clock tower, there was a rounded stone tube, like a big donut.

"What's that?" I wondered aloud.

"That's the Tunnel of Time," Summer explained. "It's one continual loop with no entrance—unless you have the key." She led me and Cyberdramon towards the Tunnel, speaking clearly as we moved along. I was wondering where the tunnel had been when the world had been broken, but with Summer's warnings I quickly threw that thought aside. "Things will be different when you get back," she said, which made my heart sink. "It'll be the same place," she assured me quickly. "But you won't be ignorant anymore. You will know what's hidden. There's a reason you never learned about this in history class—and _no_ , I will not tell you what that reason is."

"Rats," I said, laughing to myself. I couldn't help but feel entirely relieved that Summer had not only known my fears, but also assured me there was nothing to be afraid of. The world I was returning to was the one I had left from. But she was right, I was so different now. I wondered how long it would take me to track Mimi down. Would she cook me another elaborate meal? Would she and Koushiro still be together? What would Ken be up to ten years down the line?

"It will take you awhile to get used to being back there. It's been countless years since you were there. People will expect you to remember everything as if it was yesterday—because to them it _was_ yesterday," she said with a soft smile. "I know you want to see your family, but there's something you need to do first."

"The last Great Evil," I guessed, wanting to groan and complain, but pushed the feelings away. I shouldn't be ungrateful. I just had one enemy to beat, before I would be able to go home and sleep in my own bed, and eat Mom's tuna surprise casserole—which was gross, but I really _wanted_ to eat something familiar. But in a way it _wasn't_ familiar anymore. It had been so long since my old normal had been the true normal, instead of this new normal that I was forced to endure. But it wasn't _bad_ , I just missed my life. I really did.

"Yes," she said. "So you won't be on Earth or even Neverland."

"I'll figure it out," I promised. She nodded and hugged me tightly. "You'll make it to the other side," I whispered to her. She squeezed me tighter once, and nodded.

"I will," she said. "Of course I will. Who do you think you're talking to?"

I laughed, and she pressed the sapphire key into the rocky edge of the Tunnel of Time. A beautiful wooden door encrusted with shimmering blue gems appeared, and it was so unlike the swirling flashes of light that has been the norm when the world had been shattered. I took a deep breath, and stepped through, holding onto Cyberdramon's hand. I had been planning to say another goodbye to Summer but I didn't get that chance. The ground shifted under my feet and both Cyberdramon and I were thrown forward.

We tumbled out of the Tunnel at breakneck speeds, and landed roughly in what looked to be a clockworks town. It took me a moment to catch my bearings and rid myself of the dizzy spell the Tunnel had caused me. Cyberdramon caught my arm before I fell and I saw there were clouds all around us. It wasn't hard to figure out we were in the Land of Dreams. I tested it by summoning a few butterflies that flew off into the distance. I smiled to myself, knowing that I was _when_ I belonged. I just needed to find my way home from here.

"This won't be too hard," I said.

"Perhaps," Cyberdramon told me. "But the battle isn't over. This one is just starting."

"HELP!"

Cyberdramon and I both whirled around to see a Hagurumon and a Clockmon racing towards us. My first—rather optimistic thought—was that this would be the enemy we needed to face, but surely that would be too easy. It took longer than I hoped to calm them down in order to explain what they needed our help with. There was an angry digimon living within the clockworks, and they didn't want to wake him up, but every time this _one_ clock hit the hour mark, he stirred, and he was getting close to waking.

"No problem," I told them. "We'll just keep the gears in the clock from turning."

"You'll help us?" Clockmon asked, shocked.

"Of course," I said, grinning. "It's my job. Trust me, I can handle it."

 ** _Kiyoko Izumi:_**

Life was probably different without the weight of the worlds on our shoulders. I hadn't really had time to experience it. I was always exhausted. Taichi had commissioned me to make a _lot_ of towns across the entire Digital World, because he figured we should get a head start at making sure we had a failsafe in place, just in case someone decided to ignore the balance we'd built.

I was also asked to design a memoriam for the battle that would stand in Hikarigaoka forever. It was a big deal, and I was freaking out about it all the time. I wanted it to be perfect. It wasn't about showing off my skills either. I just wanted to make sure everyone remembered what happened, and that I honoured everyone properly. I didn't want to throw something together, and just call it done.

And then I was _also_ helping to piece together the Temple. We weren't even at the construction stage yet. Benjamin, and his many brothers were all very helpful to help remember the general layout of some places, but we had half of a basic plan in place. It was just that half a plan was literally useless to me. I was afraid of drowning under the pressure.

It made it hard to re-establish my relationship with Hideto, but Hideto was getting pretty good at making sure I left my work in the office—which wasn't really an office, though I was designing one that I could add to the Temple's outer district, and was in fact just a tent in the survivors camp (which was getting progressively less populated as people started to pull their lives back together). Hideto took my laptop and put it on top of the fridge every evening without fail, because I couldn't reach up there, and was too proud to drag a chair over. I didn't want to emphasize my smaller stature.

I also just really liked that Hideto was trying to monopolize my time. He would pull out board games that I'd forgotten we'd stolen for the Coliseum, and we'd play as a family, with Warg, Tapirmon, Melga—and sometimes Mari, Lalamon or Aneko. It was getting pretty crowded in the library, with Hideto, Warg and Melga's return, and the additions of Fangmon, Porcupamon and HoneyBeemon. It wasn't stuffy though, it was just cozy.

I loved it.

I loved them.

I loved _him_ —and he loved me back.

It was my favourite part about being free from the weight of the worlds. We could be together, and explore each others' personal growth. He was learning new things about me all the time, and I was starting to see that there were _way_ more things to love about him than I'd previously thought. He was such a bad guy, and I loved it. I loved all the manipulations he favoured, and the way he always got his way—through hard work (because manipulating people was an art, and was very difficult!)—but always faltered when I blushed and looked at him with wide eyes.

Because I could get my way just as often.

I was adorable. He'd told me so, and I wasn't above using it to my advantage. He seemed to appreciate that, which just made me do it all the more. We weren't perfect, but we didn't have to be, and so we weren't trying too hard. We were being ourselves—our true selves—and I couldn't help but think we fit even better _this_ way than we had before.

Mari often joked that we were nauseating, but Aneko was always giggling if she caught us kissing. I found it embarrassing, to be caught by a little girl, but she was a good kid, and it was impossible not to like her. She'd gone through so much in her short life. She fit in perfectly with the rest of us, as far as back-stories went, but she'd come out of the other side much less broken, because she'd had Mari.

Seeing Mari acting like the older sister she was, was amazing. She'd had practice with me, and Hideto—she was actually younger than him by two years, she was just _far_ more mature than him—and all of our partners too.

The only trouble we had these days—aside from my oversized workload—was that Lalamon and Tapirmon had received summons from Jupitermon. Well, actually _Ceresmon_ had received the summons, and they'd been sent to Lalamon specifically, but it was basically the same thing.

Aneko had wanted to come, but we didn't know what Jupitermon wanted, so Mari figured it would be safer to leave Aneko with a babysitter. She was old enough to stay by herself, but Mari was a _tad_ overprotective. I'd called Gravimon, before Mari had long enough to think of who to call, and Aneko hugged me, because Gravimon was the _best_ babysitter.

 _"He lets me fly around the house," Aneko confided. "Don't tell Mari. I'm going to paint a picture on my ceiling and see how long it takes for her to notice it."_

She was a troublemaker in the making, and I loved it. Hideto and I went out of the way to find ways to help her as she fell into the _dark side_. We had _way_ too much fun with it all.

So, we were all walking to Mount Olympos, unsure of what we'd find when we got there. Hideto insisted on coming, with Warg and Melga, just in case something bad was going to happen. I didn't think we'd get a legitimate hand written invitation if something _too_ bad was going on—it was written in calligraphy and everything. It was actually really impressive.

"Yoshie wants to know if I can go back to work soon," Tapirmon said, floating between Hideto and I, and effectively blocking us from holding hands. I didn't hold it against him, but I really wanted to be holding Hideto's hand, now that I could again. I was holding Melga's instead, and she was shaking my arm as she skipped alongside me.

"What did you say?" I asked, when it became clear to me that Tapirmon wasn't going to elaborate until I did.

"I said I'd ask you," Tapirmon admitted.

"You don't have to," I told him immediately. "You never have to ask my permission for anything—literally anything. After we broke into a government facility and committed grand larceny, I really can't hold anything against you."

"I just wanted to make sure," Tapirmon said, shyly.

"You _like_ working with Yoshie," I pointed out. "If you want to have a job, and you want to work there, then do it. I don't want you to feel pressured to have employment. You did a heck of a lot more work than I did when it came to saving the worlds."

"You killed Sigma," Tapirmon said quickly, shaking his head. "I just _helped_ to beat Apocalymon. You did more."

"We can agree to disagree," I said quickly, hoping that no one caught the part about Sigma, but of course I wasn't that lucky. Melga looked up to me curious, and Mari raised an eyebrow at me, just _waiting_ for me to elaborate. Hideto was looking particularly interested as well. Warg just continued to skip, bragging about being better at it than Melga, because she quit.

"He doesn't have to say anything," Lalamon murmured.

Warg and Lalamon were totally my favourites.

I just kept walking, avoiding their looks until I couldn't stand the way my skin was crawling under their stares. I took my hand away from Melga, and wrapped it around my stomach, trying to calm it. I didn't want to throw up at the memory. It was still affecting me. I'd killed a man that I had loved—even if I was setting him free at the same time.

When it became clear to me that I couldn't bring myself to actually say the words a second time—after explaining to Tapirmon the once—I looked helplessly at Tapirmon until he took the hint and started at the beginning. Lalamon jumped up in front of me, waiting for me to catch her, and then snuggled against my chest as the story progressed. I hugged her tightly, and put my face against her petals, continuing on my way to Mount Olympos, leaving the others behind for a moment.

I was getting better. I _knew_ I was. But it was hard to get over the idea that I'd killed someone. It wasn't something that was ever going to go away, but I was living with it. I wasn't going to collapse under the stress, or fall apart. It was real, and it happened, and it hurt me, but it was the right thing to do, so I couldn't dwell on it too much.

"I really missed this," Lalamon murmured.

"Me trying not to cry?" I asked wryly.

"No," Lalamon said. "I missed spending time with just you. It's been a long time. We haven't had much of a chance since Witchenly. And I wouldn't change all the time I've had with Mari. I just think it's nice."

"I'm sorry," I said, vowing to spend more time with her. I squeezed her gently, not wanting to hurt her, and she laughed—a twinkling little jingle sound, like a bell. My heart seemed lighter, and I smiled to myself.

And then Hideto's arms wrapped around the both of us, from behind me, and Mari hugged us from behind Lalamon. Warg and Melga and Tapirmon all got in on it too.

"For the record," Mari said. "That's not a secret that you should carry by yourself."

"And in the interest of complete honesty in the future, no matter how relevant," Hideto said, speaking into my hair. I leaned back, twisting my head so I could look up to him. He smiled, though it was awkward. "The judge came to a conclusion, about Yorokobi's case," he said. "She's going to an institute three hours from here. Puraido's debating on whether to move to be closer, because he thinks it's partly his fault, because he wasn't there to _help_ her or something."

"How does that make you feel?" Tapirmon asked him.

"Relieved," Hideto said, with a shrug. "Confused, a bit. I don't know. I like that she's going to be so far away, but I don't really know what else to think. She's my sister, by blood, but she wasn't my _sister_ you know? She's just related, and I mean, at one point I wanted her approval, but I just don't care about it anymore."

"And that's okay," Mari said. "We all have _someone_ that we feel that way about."

"I don't," I murmured.

"Well, you _might_ feel that way about your grandmother, if you bothered to get to know her," Tapirmon said. And he was right. I was avoiding her. She made me feel bad about myself, because I looked like my mom instead of my dad. They were both bad people. I didn't like being compared to either of them. And I was afraid she'd be doing more of that if I went to see her again. I knew I couldn't avoid her forever, because she knew I was alive now, especially because I had made such a big ordeal about finding her and forced Koushiro to help me out... but I was going to give it a good shot.

"I like our group hugs," Warg said slowly, "but I don't really want Jupitermon to be angry with us. He's kind of powerful. I mean, he probably can't beat up _all_ of us..."

"But he's got a lot of strong friends too," Melga murmured, worriedly.

"Oh, he knows better than to threaten us," Mari said confidently. "But you're right, we need to go."

So we did. We continued to talk, of course, about everything under the sun, and Warg and Melga started up a game of tag, that I couldn't help but join in on. Hideto and I even got to hold hands afterwards, which was awesome—new and familiar all at the same time.

I didn't even start to get nervous until we started walking down the tunnel that would lead to their throne chamber. And by then, it was too late to back out of the whole thing.

When we got to the wide, open room, with the beautiful columns and the mosaic murals, we were met with the sight of eleven digimon seated in large thrones, and one, darker digimon, standing off to the side looking both annoyed and over it. It made me sad to see that Plutomon still didn't have a throne of his own, but I wasn't exactly in a position to order Jupitermon around.

"Ah, Ceresmon has arrived," Jupitermon said, looking down to Lalamon. His gaze didn't waver for even a second, which I found incredibly rude, because Lalamon wasn't the only digimon present that created Ceresmon. Tapirmon was just as necessary as Lalamon was.

"You said you needed us," Mari said. "Why don't you tell us what's going on?"

"Yes," Jupitermon said, sounding far happier than I'd heard him in the past. He was still gruff, and serious, but the melancholic tone that had accompanied that was decidedly missing. It was nice to hear. "Taichi has granted us a favour the likes of which we'd never dared to hope for. We are going home."

"Oh," I said, understanding. They were returning to Witchenly and I didn't want any part of that. "Bye then."

"We must have Ceresmon at our side if we are to re-establish control over the wild lands," Jupitermon said, ignoring me entirely, in favour of Mari. "We are one unit, and we are incomplete. Long ago Autumn foretold of our twelve members, and it is time for the twelve of us to take command over the unruly digimon, and bring Witchenly back from the disaster it has been reduced to. It was once a grand, and glorious land, where magic ran free, and digimon were happy. Too long it's been in the dark. The sun has risen once again, and it is the optimal time for our return."

"Good luck," Mari said. "From what I hear, Witchenly could really use you guys."

"You don't seem to be understanding," Jupitermon said, starting to grow impatient. "Ceresmon is one of the twelve."

"So you want us to come along and help tame Witchenly," Mari said, nodding. "I might be able to fit that in my schedule, if it doesn't take too long."

"It would be a permanent position," Junomon said gently, touching Jupitermon's arm, trying to keep him from blowing a gasket. "We have waited for Ceresmon a long time. We are complete, and we are meant to rule together."

"What say you, small Ceresmon," Jupitermon asked _Lalamon_ , "will you concede?"

"For all of eternity?" Lalamon asked, sounding very overwhelmed. She glanced to Tapirmon, and I was thankful she did, because _she_ obviously remembered that Tapirmon was just as important as she was. "That's _such_ a long time though..."

"I won't even be able to live that long," Mari said, rolling her eyes. "Lalamon needs my help to reach Ceresmon. I have to use the Crest of Desire. It's not something she can do alone yet."

"I will _never_ be able to do it alone," Lalamon said, once again looking to Tapirmon.

"It's not a request," Jupitermon said, sounding like he was on the verge of having a temper tantrum. "I'm asking if you would like to be a goddess of Witchenly. It's not an offer I make lightly."

"Hold on a minute," Hideto said, sounding irritated—not just on Tapirmon's behalf like me, but just in general, since Jupitermon was trying to take away most of his family in one swoop.

"Well, I'm not moving to Witchenly," I said firmly. "No force in heaven or Earth could make me stay there long term again. Have fun with that. Tapirmon?"

"It was a nice offer," Tapirmon said carefully. "But I'm not interested either. I have a tea shop to run."

"Little Ceresmon," Jupitermon said, seeming confused about Tapirmon's declination. "You will come with us."

"You know, the _last_ time someone tried to command people to do things against their will, I seem to remember things ending badly," Mari said pointedly. "Didn't you experience it first hand? There's every chance that Ceresmon's role is already played. She saved you from being forced to follow Morganna's every command. If that's not a big enough gesture, then I don't know what is."

"Let's go, Tapirmon," I said, scowling. Jupitermon _still_ didn't seem to get it. "He's an idiot if he doesn't think you're important." Tapirmon preened under my praise, not seeming to care too much about being overlooked for this particular request.

"Leaving before you are dismissed is dangerous," Plutomon said, interrupting whatever Jupitermon was trying to say, and therefore drawing Jupitermon's attention to us.

"Yeah, well, y'all are bitches," I said, rolling my eyes, and continuing to walk away. I was sure it was the wrong thing to say to a room full of literal digital gods, but what did I care? They were being mean to my best friend and I wasn't going to stand around and let that happen. "Tapirmon is Ceresmon too!"

"Then you must stay as well," Jupitermon commanded. I turned around and glared at him. He _dared_ to tell Tapirmon what to do with his life, when just a minute ago he couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge his existence.

"Hell no," Mari said, turning on her heel—a classy pair of knee high, leather boots—and started to walk after me. Hideto laughed. He, Warg and Melga raced after us. Lalamon was much more hesitant, not wanting to insult Jupitermon, but also not wanting to take him up on his offer. "I left my sister with a digimon of questionable morals. And I've got school to worry about. I don't have _time_ to spend an eternity in Witchenly."

"B-but—" Jupitermon stuttered.

"Wait," Minervamon called dramatically. "I'M ALLOWED TO LEAVE?"

"No," Jupitermon said, though he didn't sound so confident anymore.

"I don't want to leave New York. It's New York! It's great," Minervamon said. "Satoe's going to be thrilled. Come on Bacchusmon, I'm sure Keisuke would love to have you there. You'll be the life of the party."

"If you don't think he'll mind," Bacchusmon said, hesitantly.

"It couldn't hurt to spend a short time with Tadashi," Merukimon said, looking hopefully towards Jupitermon.

"I'm willing to wait until _after_ we re-establish our reign," Junomon offered, "but Aimi did ask me to dinner, and I don't want to disappoint my partner."

"I like living in Japan," Coronamon said, jumping off of his throne and running towards us, most likely hoping that we'd bring him back with us.

"Natsuko really does need a sounding board," Lunamon said shyly, sliding off of her own throne. "She's training me to be an editor. It's really fascinating."

"Does no one care about _Witchenly_?" Jupitermon asked with a booming voice.

"I will conquer it with you, if you'd like," Plutomon offered. Jupitermon paused, and then pointed to Ceresmon's throne.

"Have a seat," he said.

"I'm the thirteenth member," Plutomon said drawly. "How _lucky_."

"I'm expecting you all to come back before we depart," Jupitermon announced. "I don't care _what_ you do with your time afterwards, but you must be present when I retake our thrones!"

"Of course, dear," Junomon said, before she flitted off ahead of us.

"That guy needs to lighten up," Hideto decided, as we walked out of the tunnel into Mount Olympos, and back into the sun.

"He'll get there," Mari said with a laugh. "You do remember who his partner is, right?"

"Michael Sr," Hideto said with a grin.

"I guess it makes sense that he's such a drama queen then," I said, before we all burst into laughter.

 ** _Koushiro Izumi:_**

"And then I was like, are you a total div? I made a plan so simple that an orangutan could have followed it: just _stop_ being homeless!"

"That's offensive," Aimi muttered darkly, but Mrs Hoshino said _was_ offensive, so it wasn't surprising. Katsue's mother was sipping steadily at a glass of wine—her second already, before dinner had even been served. Katsue was flushed and looking steadfast at the elegantly folded napkin in front of her. DemiDevimon was on her lap, abandoning his own chair in favour of comforting her, while Monimon and Amai held what was sure to be an intriguing conversation utilizing only buzzing noises.

Kiyoko's face was flushed too, and for a similar reason to Katsue. He was embarrassed too, though not because of Mrs Hoshino's vocal opinions. No, his embarrassment stemmed from the fact that he was in fact homeless between the ages of nine and fifteen, and didn't particularly like the reminder.

He might've had an easier time if he wasn't sandwiched between Mrs Hoshino and myself. He and Hideto had arrived last, and there wasn't a collection of five seats left open, and as we were at the Izumi family home, he felt obligated to be the one to sit separate to the others. He was most likely wishing he'd given in and let Hideto take the spot, so that he could be at the end of the table with Warg, Melga and Tapirmon.

I wasn't particularly comfortable with the entire situation myself. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to be at this table. It was overcrowded, and there were so many people that I wouldn't typically be surrounded by.

My grandmother was at the head of the table, with pinched lips and tight eyes. She was sitting ramrod straight, and was being as absolutely calm as she could be with a guest that was so open to brazenly insulting people. Tafu was to her left, and Amai was to her right. Tafu was handling the insults far better than Amai. Tafu _had_ been groomed to take over the family estate, after all. Tafu was seated next to Shin, and Candlemon and Jagamon were seated after him. Isao and Aimi Kido were next, having been invited because Grandmother was interested in learning about the families of the extended family—despite the fact that I was her only grandchild that was actually married.

Mimi was next to Aimi, and had her arms crossed, and was glaring at me. Palmon grinned though, giving me what was meant to be two thumbs up, and pointing to my hair. I sighed. It didn't look good at all. It was actually so horrible, that Mrs Hoshino had narrowed in on it before she'd even said a single word to me.

 _"Your hair looks like a briar patch. I keep expecting racist animated characters to pop up and sing about living on the Bayou."_

Not even a "Hello" or "Nice to meet you." Nope. It was all about the mess that was my hair. In my defence, I'd followed the instructions I'd been given—but to counter that point, I felt that I had skimped out on fact checking, and that my appearance could have been avoided with any effort at all on my part.

Instead, my hair was stuck to my head, and hardened into a helmet. I was oddly uncomfortable in my skin, which was actually something that I'd never realized that I didn't care about—until I'd tried to put effort into it and failed.

 _"Hey, Sora," I said, immediately following her greeting. "I'm going to dinner with my parents and Mimi's parents, and my grandmother, and Kiyoko, Hideto, Katsue, Amai, a bunch of other people. The thing is, in these situations, I usually just follow whatever directions Mimi gives me."_

 _"But she's still ignoring you, and you need a little help," Sora guessed. "Well, I can help, sure. And it's great that you called, because I actually had something I wanted to talk about."_

 _"You and Yamato are dating, yes," I said, a tad impatiently, because I was nervous about the upcoming dinner. "You told me already, and I told you that it needn't have waited so long if you had only swallowed your pride and allowed yourself to change your mind."_

 _"Well, yeah, you're right," Sora said. I could practically hear her rolling her eyes. "And I admitted that I was attached to my past decisions because they were right in that moment, without taking into account the changes that I went through over my journey. And he_ hurt _me badly, at the time, and I was stubborn enough to assume that he would do it again. I didn't allow myself to reassess any of my choices, because I was stuck on the idea that I was always right."_

 _"And you typically are," I allowed._

 _"Exactly," Sora said. "But that's still not what I wanted to talk about. I don't actually repeat conversations over and over again, hoping to find just the slightest new detail that could expand my mind. That would be ridiculous. I wanted to know if you thought about what I said."_

 _"Be more specific," I suggested. Sora talked a lot—not as much as Biyomon, but still—even if she only talked a lot to_ me _and was quiet around the others. Palmon giggled, and Tentomon tried to hush her. They were the ones that suggested I call Sora. They were trying to get me ready, but as it turned out, they knew less than I did about human fashion—which honestly surprised me._

 _"Have you just_ talked _to Mimi?" Sora sighed. "If I've learned anything about this thing with Yamato, it's that open communication can go a long way. You two are married. You know that you love each other. There's no debating that—she wouldn't be so hurt if she didn't love you, after all. But maybe she just doesn't see what you think is so obvious."_

 _"I might talk to her, if I survive this meal," I decided. It wasn't a promise, so she couldn't be mad at me if I didn't do it. But I was sure I would try. "Katsue's mother is coming. Do you know how frightened I am? Yamato didn't paint a very pleasant picture."_

 _"She wasn't_ that _bad," Sora said, though I wasn't sure if I could believe her. She and Katsue were trying to be friends now, and Sora was naturally defensive of her friends—and the people they cared about. Yamato had told me all about her and her high class attitude. She had apparently verbally torn apart Yamato's house and even Yamato himself, stating that none of it was good enough for Katsue._

 _"Just help me," I pleaded, not liking that I was reduced to begging. Sora laughed, and immediately listed off exactly which articles of clothing I needed to wear, because she knew my closet as well as her own, and instructed me on how to iron them, so that I wouldn't look rumpled. She picked out a pair of shoes, and told me to put a dime sized amount of gel in my hair, just to tame it down a bit, because my 'bed-head chic' wasn't actually a style, so much as laziness._

 _It was only after I hung up that I realized I didn't know how much gel that was. I_ did _know that dimes were currency in America. I sighed and called loudly, "Mimi, how big is a dime?"_

 _"As big as our divorce papers!" she sneered, pettily._

 _"That's pretty big," Palmon said with wide eyes, looking to Tentomon. "Right?"_

 _"Yes," Tentomon said. "Divorce papers, to my understanding, would be similar in size to all papers."_

As it turned out, dimes and divorce papers were not the same size. Mimi flat out laughed at the sight of me when we were leaving, and Satoe refused to acknowledge me. Even Mom looked like she pitied me. I vowed that I would never do my hair again, but it wasn't helping. Mrs Hanoshi was looking my way again, while she continued spewing out ridiculous statements between other people's generally cliché—by comparison at least—topics.

"I hate hospitals," she was saying, causing Shin to gasp, scandalized, and Isao to raise a brow at her. Obviously she was unaware of the doctors in our midst. "That's why I keep voting for the death penalty—I'm sorry, I lost my train of thought because you have so much margarine in your hair."

It took me a moment to realize that she was talking to me again. It was unlikely that she had actually lost her train of thought because of me, since I was sitting only two seats away from her and she would have to intentionally look toward me if she were to see me at all. "It's not margarine," I grumbled.

"I think it suits him," Palmon said, sounding proud of herself—since she was the one that measured out the gel (on a literal piece of paper, for an exact amount).

"He looks like an idiot," Mimi said, narrowing her eyes at me, "so yeah, you're right. It suits him just fine."

I glared at her, and she stuck her tongue out at me, crossing her arms. Palmon whined, and pouted, but even _that_ didn't lessen Mimi's ire with me. Tentomon patted me on the arm, but was firmly sharing Mimi's opinion about my hair. I could tell because it was _Palmon_ that defended me, instead of him. I couldn't blame him though. I was pretty sure Palmon was the _only_ one that liked it.

"Sorry," Mrs Hoshino said. "I didn't mean to cause trouble between you. But Loud Girl is right, Helmet Head, you should've used a lighter hand with that margarine."

"Still not margarine," I sighed.

"I think it's cute," Amai said. "It takes a lot of courage to do walk out of the house like that. I think it's commendable."

"You would," Tafu said, snorting.

"Girls!" Grandmother scolded sharply. Tafu sat up straight instantly, but Amai just stuck her tongue out at her sister, and laughed while patting Monimon on the head. There was a short, awkward moment when no one spoke. But too quickly it was over.

"Now that Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Lesbian are done," Mrs Hoshino said, "I need to ask—"

"I am _not_ a lesbian," Tafu protested quickly, putting her hand on Shin's shoulder. "I don't know if you've met my boyfried, Shin? He's sitting right here."

"Well, I never specified," Mrs Hoshino said. It might've been my imagination, but it seemed like she was floundering a bit, as though she needed to fill the silence in order to feel comfortable. " _You_ got defensive. It prompts a question I've had, actually." Mrs Hoshino looked to Grandmother and took a breath. "Is homosexuality hereditary? If Katsue had another sibling, would they also share her sexuality? I just ask because you seem to have far more experience with this."

"I have no experience," Grandmother said shortly. "Each of my sons had a wife, each married happily."

"I was talking about your grandchildren actually," Mrs Hoshino said, clearing her throat and taking another long drink of her wine. Tentomon shifted uncomfortably beside me, not liking the tense feeling in the air, as we all waited for Grandmother to either explode with rage, or shock us all with acceptance. Mom patted Tentomon on the head, and I glanced down the table, passed Mom, Dad and Tapirmon to Hideto, who was clenching his own wine glass tightly. Horitsu—Iori's boss, and Grandmother's lawyer—put his hand on Hideto's shoulder, while raising an eyebrow towards the head of the table, directly across from him, to Grandmother.

"It's just that Gelfing's got a boyfriend, and Tweelde-Dum's got my daughter," Mrs Hoshino said, once she'd drained her glass dry. I wished she'd use our actual names. It would've been easier than trying to sort out her nicknames for each of them. "And your oldest one's got defensive, and we can all see the marital trouble between Loud Girl and Helmet Head."

"Mom," Katsue sighed. "Ask _me_ your questions, okay?"

"I just wanted another parent's point of view. She's the only one that I _know_ of, that has had to get used to this," Mrs Hoshino said. "Do you know how hard it is to believe one thing about your daughter for her entire life and then have those beliefs ripped out from under you?"

"Koushiro, are you and Mimi _really_ having problems?" Kiyoko asked, looking up at me with desperate eyes. He wanted the subject to change, and it was clear why. He felt inadequate already in Grandmother's eyes, because he looked like his mother. It didn't take a genius to understand his hesitance of coming today. He'd tried desperately to refuse the invitation, but Amai was a stubborn woman, and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. And finding out that Grandmother was adverse to his sexuality—though she never confirmed, nor denied, this assumption—was probably a little bit more than he was willing to handle.

I just wished that the new topic wouldn't be focussing on _me_.

"We aren't having trouble," I denied easily enough. Mimi snorted though, and Satoe narrowed her eyes at me. Keisuke, the usually easy going guy that he was, didn't look much happier.

"Can it be considered trouble if neither party is willing to admit that it exists?" Tentomon asked, much to my dismay. Palmon perked up.

"Mimi keeps talking about _divorce_ , but I don't know what that means," she said eager to share too.

"But you two are perfect for each other," Hideto said. "I would know. I'm a genius at this stuff."

"I _know_ we are," Mimi cried dramatically. "He's the one that wants the divorce."

"You're the one that wanted Palmon at the wedding!" I said defensively. "Palmon came back, the next logical step was to get a divorce, so that Palmon could take her place in the ceremony, but you never let me explain myself. You stuck by my side through _everything_ , Mimi. You helped me get over my addiction without feeling like an idiot! I love you, Mimi. You know that I do. I thought you did. I'm upset that you doubted my feelings for you enough to not question my intentions."

"You're the one that just announced that you wanted a divorce," Mimi said. "How was I supposed to know?"

"And instead of confronting your fears you decided to run away? Have my past actions taught you nothing?" I asked, confused, more than anything.

"They worked," she said, crossing her arms and pouting. "You ran away and I _didn't_ break up with you. I thought maybe, if I did the same you wouldn't divorce me. You might just...forget about it."

"Oh, my God," Katsue said, putting her head against the table, causing her wine glass to wobble. Amai caught it, before even a single drop could spill. "You don't need to get a freaking divorce. Grow a brain, oh knowledgeable one! If you want Palmon involved with a ceremony, just renew your vows, don't waste a ton of money on a divorce that neither of you wants. If this is how your brain works, it's a wonder that the worlds are still standing."

There was a brief moment of silence where I allowed Katsue's words to sink in. "He's quite intelligent," Tentomon said, defending me—momentarily, anyway. "But Gennai did state that he needed to discover the difference between knowledge and wisdom, perhaps this is one of the first steps he must take in order to make that discovery?"

"Let's hope so, buddy," Katsue said, "or else the worlds are doomed."

"They are not," I said, my face burning with my embarrassment. Kiyoko was giggling at my side, and I elbowed him, playfully, happy to see him in a better mood. He just laughed louder though.

"I would like that," Mimi said softly. "What Katsue said though, because she's right. It's way better than your idea. But I think I could marry you again, even if you are an idiot."

"That worked out pretty well," Amai said, looking to Grandmother. Grandmother nodded, but she didn't seem too pleased. I wasn't sure if it was because I was the child of her youngest son, who ran off with a wild child and abandoned both her and the family, only to die in a car accident without ever having a chance to restore his relationship with his mother—or if it was just because the dramatics involved with Mimi's and my outbursts weren't fitting for the type of dinner Grandmother had in mind. I didn't know Grandmother enough to be able to discern the reason behind her pinched lips.

"Is anyone going to tell me what we're doing here?" Mrs Hoshino said, awkwardly. "I cancelled with my friends to be here, we usually go out bow-hunting for hoboes _."_

"You _can't_ be serious," Hideto growled, under his breath. Kiyoko moved his chair away from Mrs Hoshino's again.

"I don't have fleas, kid," she said, when it became increasingly obvious that he was in fact trying to get away from her—he was practically in my lap by that point.

"Kiyoko used to live on the streets," Tapirmon said, floating over in order to snuggle up to his partner. Kiyoko held him tightly. "All your talk against homelessness and hoboes is obviously making him uncomfortable."

"I don't mean anything by it—" Mrs Hoshino said, caught off guard by Tapirmon's words. "I obviously didn't know."

"It's okay," Kiyoko said, softly.

"No its not," Grandmother said. "This dinner is turning into a disaster. I just wanted to spend an evening with my remaining family. I miss my sons, and I can't have them. You're all I have. I have to make do."

"She's not the one that left me on streets," Kiyoko said, looking up sharply towards Grandmother and narrowing his eyes, coldly. "Mrs Hoshino uses offensive statements and obnoxious behaviour to cover up how uncomfortable and confused she is. This dinner was going to be a disaster the moment you planned it. It couldn't turn out any differently. You couldn't keep this family together if you tried—but you didn't try."

"I know," Grandmother said, putting her hand in front of Tafu, who was on her feet, ready to defend Grandmother's honour against Kiyoko—which only prompted Mom, Satoe, Tapirmon and Hideto to get defensive, because no one was allowed to mess with Kiyoko.

"What?" Kiyoko and I questioned together, both at a loss, and incredibly confused. Grandmother was a crusty old lady. She wasn't meant to give in.

"I didn't try to keep the family together," she said. "I have caused quite a few misfortunes, and I will take that responsibility. But I am trying to make amends. I don't have long for this world, and I invited you all here to announce my heir, and the future of the estate. There are many things I should have done, but my pain and my pride prevented me from doing so. Koushiro should never have been sent to a distant relative. I'm pleased to see that he's come away from that a well-rounded young man, with a _lively_ wife, and interesting friends and accomplishments. But I let my pride keep me from raising him as I should. I let my anger and betrayal over my youngest get the best of me."

Her apology was nice, I guess, but it was unnecessary. I was _happy_ that she ignored me and sent me to live with my parents. I loved Mom and Dad, as if they were my own—because they _were_ —and I would never want to trade that with the stuffy upbringing that Amai and Tafu received. Their parents might have lived the longest of all Grandmother's children, but they had still grown in this oversized house, with far too many rules, and not enough nurturing. I never would have been able to become the man I needed to be in order to save the world here.

"And I know that I have wronged you, Kiyoko," she said. Kiyoko didn't look comforted, or pleased that she was acknowledging it. But I also knew that he'd been holding in this pain and anger for years. He was only nine when his entire world fell apart. And he was eighteen before the pieces really started to fit together again. That was a lot of time to allow resentment to fester.

"But that is not what we're here to discuss," she said, clearing her throat, so that whatever emotions she was falling into weren't overpowering her anymore. "Horistu, you have my will?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said, reaching down to a briefcase beside him, and pulling out a folder. "Would you like me to explain, or would you prefer to do the honours?"

"You," Grandmother said. Her voice seemed a tad shaky.

"The will states that Tafu be named heir, as she has been raised to take the title," Horitsu said. I honestly wasn't interested in hearing out the will. I wasn't a part of Grandmother's life, and I honestly didn't need anything from her. It kind of felt like I was intruding, just being here.

"I knew it," Tafu said, excitedly, leaning over and kissing Shin, once on the mouth, and then a second time on his cheek. Shin's face was red, when he realized that Grandmother did not approve of Tafu's boasting, and her choice of celebration. "You won't regret this choice, Grandmother," she said. "I'll make you proud. There's still so much you'll need to teach me though."

"I know," Grandmother said. "And I will. But first you must listen to the rest."

"What?" Tafu asked, caught off guard.

"Tafu will run the estate, yes," Horitsu said, reading over the document again. "But the Izumi family fortune will be split equally between the four grandchildren."

"That doesn't even make any sense," Tafu said. "They don't even know you."

I'd been thinking the same thing, but Kiyoko winced, and I found that I didn't particularly like her tone of voice, because of it. It wasn't _our_ fault that we didn't know her. No. I didn't really want her money, but it didn't mean it was my fault that I wasn't involved in Grandmother's life.

"I don't need the money, Tafu," Amai said. "You can have mine."

"Amai," Katsue said. "Don't you want to think about it?"

"Is your relationship based on money?" Mrs Hoshino asked, sounding both confused, and excited—as though she'd _finally_ cracked the case as to why Katsue would start dating Amai in the first place.

"Of course it's not," Katsue said sharply, to her mother, before softening her tone while looking to Amai. "Of course it's not," she repeated, softly. "I just want you to be sure. You can't make big decisions without some thought to them."

"But I've never wanted Grandmother's money," Amai said. "I wanted to earn my own way. That's why I don't wear fancy clothes, or have a driver. I paint for a living. I make my own money. Neither of us really _needs_ it."

"Perhaps, in the future, you may use it for a wedding," Grandmother said, sounding like she'd sucked on something sour, "should such a thing become legal in this country."

"Or it could be a destination wedding," Mrs Hoshino said. "There are other countries that allow it."

"I don't need the money either," I found myself saying. Mimi kicked me under the table. "What?" I asked, pain lacing my voice, as I bent over to rub my shin.

"Kids need college funds," Mimi said. "You may never use it for yourself, and that's fine, but don't be so narrow minded."

"You're not..." I asked, looking queasily down at her stomach.

"No!" she said quickly, putting a hand on her stomach, looking like she was turning green at just the thought. "But someday, I hope so..."

"You can have my share," Kiyoko said.

"Kiyoko, we live in a library," Hideto said pointedly.

"I have literal bags of money under my bed," Kiyoko said, waving off his concerns. When he realized everyone was looking at him strangely he flushed. "What? I _earned_ most of it."

"Most of it?" Mom wondered.

"Sigma," Satoe said wisely, which only made Mom, Tapirmon and Hideto nod in understanding.

"I don't trust banks," Kiyoko said, still embarrassed. "Also, I wasn't legally alive for a really long time..."

"You can do what you wish with the money, but it is to be split four ways. I won't ignore my grandchildren any longer. I must make amends, and I don't know if I have long enough to do it any other way," Grandmother said firmly.

"We could always try," I said, elbowing Kiyoko. He glared at me half-heartedly, but sighed.

"Yeah," he decided.

"I'll have to invite you over for dinner sometime," Mom said.

"You could stop by the restaurant any time," Mimi said. "Hideto or I will cook you up something special—on the house."

"Hideto's a real good cook," Warg said proudly. Melga nodded eagerly.

"What is even happening?" Tafu asked, leaning back against her chair, confused.

"We're finally bonding," Amai said happily.

And there was a chance she was right. It wasn't a sure thing yet, and things might not work out. But we were going to give it a try. I finally knew where I came from, and Kiyoko found the family he'd wanted. It was a broken family, with a lot of missing pieces, but it was something that was ours, and that was all that mattered.

 ** _Kurayami Motomiya:_**

Haruki let out a terribly ugly, gurgling burp as Daisuke patted his back and three castle maids stopped in their tracks to look toward the three of us, disgusted. I smiled sheepishly to them and let them pass us by. Daisuke let out a low laugh as he looked into the eyes of our giggling baby boy. Okay, so maybe he wasn't a baby anymore, but could I really just stop calling him that? I felt like he'd always be my baby.

"Woah!" Haruki mumbled as he wiggled and shook in Daisuke's arms. He set him down quickly and watched as Haruki hurried along with DemiVeemon hopping along beside him. I listened to the sound of his tiny footsteps as they echoed around the great hall around us. Haruki came to a sliding halt in front of a big and beautiful painting of a lion and stared up in awe at the sight.

I didn't want to rush him since we were in no particular hurry and I wanted him to experience art if that's what he was interested in. I had a feeling it was the lion that had caught his attention and not the idea of the artwork, but either way, it was important to explore his interests. That was the advice Momoe had given me anyway.

This entire castle was beautiful actually and Haruki agreed. We could hardly walk through a single hallway without his entire world being shifted by the way the chandelier sparkled, or the way the windows arched. Everything about this land amazed him and I was excited about that, but also worried. Haruki was not a normal child—and that wasn't even coming from a typical biased motherly point of view. Haruki was _our_ child and that meant he had more readily available access to these other worlds. It worried me that he might take advantage of that in his later years.

But as for now, his amazement at the Sidhendorian castle was simply adorable and nothing more.

I tightened my grip on the container of cookies that Daisuke and I had made the previous night and wandered over to the row of windows that made up the hallway. Far below I could see the accumulation of followers who were here to celebrate the special occasion. I could make out Vikemon as he was doing much of the heavy lifting for the event. I was sure Iori would be nearby, assuming he was done visiting Winter's grave already.

Daisuke and I had stopped by on our way up as well, even though we hadn't known her well. She was strong and she had done a _lot_ for this world in that year the worlds had been separated. I didn't know the specifics because politics weren't really my thing, but I knew that she had worked on reducing the cost of living, and she had made elaborate plans to expand the nation and she and Spring had fixed the forest after the beanstalk's destruction single handed. Winter was an amazing woman, and I would never get to know that for certain. I would always have to take the word from the others.

What I did know was that today was about celebrating our next big step forward as a group. We were finally looking to a different picture than we ever had and it felt amazing. I wasn't even sure the others fully understood what this new image we saw was, but they had been there and they fought for what was right. On some subconscious level they all had to understand.

We were not living in a blissful or perpetual peace. We had thought we were fighting for peace, but we had been wrong. Or perhaps we always had been, but we had been wrong to _do_ so, just as our enemies had been fighting for the Chaos. In the end we were fighting for neither good nor bad. We were fighting for the balance of _everything_.

And that was the broad picture that was laid out in front of us. Balance was on the horizon and everything was soon to fall into place. Somehow life just seemed lighter. Better. Kinder. My father was laughing more, and I caught him singing the last time I'd been to visit him. Daisuke's noodle carts had a whole new meaning now that he was determined to help those who could not afford a meal and chose not to accept any money at all. He was featured in a magazine for his selfless efforts. I was finished with schooling and I would soon have a job lined up so Labramon wouldn't be funding our family alone. Everyone was smiling and, while we weren't yet _happy_ we would get there.

And there was nothing weighing me down anymore.

Those memories of my mother, and the missing pieces of my mind that Fanglongmon had kept a secret from me did not feel nearly as dark as they had before. There were no links that needed explaining and no gaps where I could not remember something. Everything was safely pieced where it needed to go and I found comfort in that because I no longer had a dark force keeping those fears and guilty emotions at the surface.

There were pieces that had come to me more recently, about Apocalymon. Fanglongmon had not entrusted him to me, but rather Mephistomon—Apocalymon's recovering self—chose me himself.

 _"I will bring them to you," I had said to him._

 _"You mustn't do that," he had said so sharply that I almost obeyed._

I hadn't though. I had brought the Digidestined with me, straight to Apocalymon and he had not been prepared. I had fought against his hold on my own for that moment. He had repaid me by entering my heart and weighing me down in his desperate need to recover and grow. He had latched onto me before I had even escaped the Digital World.

But none of that mattered now. Because Apocalymon was _gone_. And not just gone from my heart. He was finally destroyed. His entire being had been canceled out by the peace that Norn had sent to Forsettimon. I had to have her explain that to me quickly.

 _"Yggdrasil is a part of who I am," Norn said, "or rather the other way around. His essence of peace runs through my veins. When I passed that on to Forsettimon he was able to do what we had done to Yggdrasil before him."_

 _"So he's gone," Daisuke said as Norn embraced me. She could see the relief in my eyes and she knew I needed this from her. Apocalymon was a danger to us all. To everyone I had grown to care for, but he could not hurt them anymore. And he certainly couldn't use_ my _body to do it. The Chaos was_ gone _and I was left with darkness and somehow that was everything._

 _"But if Yggdrasil split himself into four parts," Veemon said slowly, "one part was himself, one was you, one became Sigma and the last was Zeta—doesn't that mean you're part of Gaia's heart and that she can't really die unless you're gone?"_

 _The entire room fell into a total silence as we turned to Norn for the answers. She paused and then let out a loud laugh and I could feel how uncomfortable she was. Sometimes it was so easy to assume that she would know the answers to everything just because of her position of power. "Honestly, I can't answer that, Veemon," Norn finally said. Daisuke didn't seem surprised and I kicked him from under the table. "But I can assure you that Gaia is gone. Her heart, her spirit, her mind_ and _her body. They are all defeated and she cannot return."_

I didn't need to know the specifics. I didn't need to know _why_. I was comfortable and confident knowing the simple fact that Gaia was not going to return. Her manipulative ways were over and everything was back to the way it was.

But strangely better.

The Olympos members had taken back their place in charge of Witchenly and while they didn't all take up a _permanent_ residence in the castle, they were all doing their part in bringing back the former glory of the world. The puzzle that was Neverland was finally in one piece again after the many years following Merlin's tragic mistake. The Land of Dreams had found pure and total balance—even if it did come at the cost of Yume's life and even if I couldn't get the horrified look on his face out of my mind when he had realized that I had sentenced him to death. Daisuke tried to assure me I had done the right thing but I didn't see how that could be true. Another man had been brought to death because of _me_. But he was _one_ man, and in the larger picture, the worlds were happier, and they were safer. And in a big way, it was all thanks to Gaia.

She may have been a maniacal psychopath with a borderline compulsive need to throw those she cared about under the bus in her truly vindictive and insanely selfish climb to the top of everything and she may have been run by the greed that was fueled by whatever dark past she had lived through. And she may have been plagued by a severe case of multiple personality disorder in which she truly believed there were two sides to her and created a twisted love triangle in her head between a man who wanted nothing to do with her, and the two sides of her brain. And she may have used that to her advantage as she took control of every living being she walked by and she may never have felt guilt for anything she had done.

She may have been the truly greatest evil we had heard about.

But she still did a _lot_ for the worlds. Even if she hadn't meant for them to end up the way that they had.

Haruki was finally done ogling the painting of the lion and so Veemon and Labramon agreed to race him down the hall. I was sure none of them knew where they were going, but then again, Daisuke and I had barely remembered the directions we were given. The general leafy decorative carvings were our only indication that we were on the right track toward Spring.

Luckily—after three turns that were sure to be leading us deeper into the labyrinth that was the Sidhendor castle, we finally bumped into a familiar face.

At first I was unable to recognize him with his hair pulled back and his regal attire, but the glasses on his face were a dead giveaway. "Bitoru," Daisuke grinned, throwing his hand out to greet our friend. Bitoru smiled and looked us over. "I know, we look amazing."

"You do," Bitoru smiled. "Earth fashion always did interest me. That is not to say I wish to ever return, for I may never do so. I am just so glad to finally be back here in the land I know and love." He paused. "Though, I suppose I no longer know this land, but I will get to know it once more." He smiled to himself, pleased with the thought. I knew he had been cursed, probably by Gaia. His entire existence was plagued by the idea that he may never experience true happiness, but all that changed. He fought the curse by mending Spring's mind, and here we were, staring to a man who showed us that happiness really could be found in the darkest of times.

"You look different," Labramon pointed out bluntly.

"Wait until you see Spring," Bitoru joked, "that's where you're headed, right?" We all nodded—aside from Haruki who was pulling on the laces of Bitoru's black boots and then Bitoru waved us all after him. "Follow me."

It was a relief to have someone who knew where they were going take us along rather than leaving us to keep searching the hallways for what we were looking for. I was sure we would have spent the entire day lost up in those corridors. But as it was, Bitoru took us with ease back the way we had come—because, like I had suspected, we had gone the wrong way, and then finally Bitoru was stopping in front of a beautiful golden doorway.

"Lucky you ran into me," Bitoru said as he knocked on the door. There was a faint sound from within and apparently that implied that we were permitted to enter because Bitoru smiled and twisted the intricate knob.

Veemon burst through, in front of Bitoru, nearly knocking him off his feet as he danced around the biggest bedroom I had ever seen. The room had many pieces of wooden furniture and it looked exactly how I imagined it would from Spring's story. It was clear that she kept the uncomfortable furniture to honour Aesop, who had been so adamant about fixing her posture, but unlike the vision in my head, there were large windows that overlooked the palace town, allowing the light-from-nowhere to soak everything in a warm glow.

Standing in front of a tall and elegant mirror framed with gold, just as the door had been, was a woman who was far more unrecognizable than Bitoru had been when we'd first run into him. I noticed Daisuke's eyes slip right past her as if he hadn't even registered that she had been the woman we were here for at all, while Labramon and DemiVeemon chased after Veemon. Haruki was pulling on the tail of Bitoru's bright orange jacket now, but Bitoru didn't seem to mind.

When finally Spring looked to us through the reflection of the mirror something seemed to click in Daisuke's mind and he gasped. "Spring!" he said breathlessly, "you look so..."

"Different, I know," she whined. Her usually unruly hair had been tamed and forced into a crazed and elaborate braided bun with only two curls having escaped the hold and serving as the only reminder of the mass of hair that had once taken up much of her appearance. Her humbled red, purple and black dress had been replaced with a long and flowing red dress that accented her pinkish skin and bright round eyes. She looked _beautiful_ , but she didn't look much like Spring.

Elecmon was sitting on a stool by the window looking toward us all, having turned his attention from the outside and he smiled at the sight of us all. Veemon tackled him into a hug and Elecmon was already telling him about his day and how hard it was to round up all the babies to come here today for the event.

Spring bent down to scoop up Haruki as he rushed over to her and a sharp cry came from near the cluttered bookshelf in the corner. I turned to see a plump woman with her lips pursed. "You'll crinkle your dress!"

"But I _want_ my dress to be crinkled!" Spring's dressing lady was stern though and Spring sighed, patting Haruki's head gently before she stood tall once more. The woman's hand came up to Spring's back and with a sharp push Spring's posture had been adjusted. Spring slumped her shoulders the moment the woman walked off, back to the bookshelf. "So," Spring said after sticking her tongue out at the woman's back. "What brings you all here?"

"Oh!" I said, holing up the container of cookies. Spring's eyes widened and I stepped toward her. "We thought we'd bring you something."

"We bought some really nice flowers," Daisuke admitted. "But then remembered you could just create flowers. So we baked cookies—well, Kura did most of it." Daisuke was blushing. I knew he was skeptical about bringing these for her because she was such a powerful being and we'd never had to give her a gift before. She had lived far longer than we could imagine, so what could she possibly need?

When I came close enough she practically tore the cookies from my hand and ripped off the top of the box, reaching her hand in to grab a handful. She looked ravenous and she popped one into her mouth before another sharp cry came from the other end of the room where the bossy woman stood, her hands on her hips. "I told you that you could eat no food until later tonight!"

"B-b-but _cookies_!" Spring whined. The woman looked angry for a moment but then an amused smile grew on her face. "One more—but that's _it_." Spring hummed her enjoyment and took another cookie out of the container before handing it off to Bitoru who snuck a couple for himself.

I felt very out of place standing next to Spring in all her elegant glory, and even the mirror looked prettier than I did, so my reflection felt very strange. My hair was a mess because I had never been great at making myself look perfect, and my makeup looked creased and I knew I could sit there pointing out flaws in myself for hours while comparing my appearance to Spring, so instead, I tore my eyes away from the faded purple streak in my hair and stepped away, looking to Spring once more.

"How are you feeling?" Daisuke asked as Spring turned to look at herself once more.

Spring simply shook her head, unwilling to answer, and instead Bitoru did so for her. "She's feeling guilty, mostly." Spring glared at him, like she had been betrayed, but I could tell she was happy to have him filling us in rather than having to say it herself. "She doesn't want to take over from her sister. She doesn't want any more celebrations when she's trying to mourn the loss of so many. She isn't sure she'll be good enough. She's still getting use to the idea that her mind is not falling apart anymore and she keeps expecting to fall into panic, but her mind is stable, so she's got a lot to think about. She's afraid people will look to her as a joke and choose to mock her instead of respect her, but she doesn't wish to change who she is."

Spring was smiling by the end of Bitoru's explanation, and although it may have seemed strange, I knew better. She _was_ feeling all of those things, and her empathetic powers made her feel everyone else's problems too. But for once, there was someone who truly understood _her_ feelings and she didn't have to explain herself or pretend she was okay because people just didn't get it. Because Bitoru _did_ get it.

"So," Spring said, changing the subject entirely. "The curse is over for your family, Kura." I nodded, feeling both relieved and guilty at the idea still. "When will you two have your second child?"

Daisuke and I both turned to each other sharply and then looked to Haruki who was giggling at Elecmon as he ran around him in circles. Veemon and Labramon were entertaining DemiVeemon who was more work than Haruki ever had been. We had a pretty good support team for raising Haruki and he was nothing but a perfect little angel—most of the time. Why _wouldn't_ we have another child? Aside from the obvious reasons that we hadn't been ready for Haruki when _he_ had come, and that we barely had enough money as it was, and we were both trying to figure out our lives and we had _just_ ended a lifelong war and we didn't have _room_ for four humans and four digimon—assuming of course that our second child would have a partner as well... it just didn't seem right.

Thankfully though, we didn't have to explain that—though Spring could understand the reasons without us having to—because Spring's assistant lady was quickly ushering us to the door and telling us that it was nearly time for the event to begin, and so of course we said a quick goodbye to both Spring and Bitoru and then we were all standing in the hallway.

Haruki was already climbing up onto Veemon's back and they set off, with Daisuke running along after them to make sure they didn't get hurt. Labramon stopped me as I tried to walk and he looked around, embarrassed. "Do you think we could ask for some of the cookies back?" he asked. I grinned at him and reached into the bag I had hanging from my shoulders and pulled out three cookies wrapped in foil. I broke one in half and handed it to him, keeping the other half for myself.

Fifteen minutes—and six brief stops to ask for directions—later and we had finally found ourselves moving through the crowd. Many of the Sidhendorians were acting rather pushy and self important, trying to imply that we had no business being there, but I knew that Spring had requested the Digidestined have seats saved in the front of the ceremony.

There were a lot of complaints and twice we lost DemiVeemon in the crowd, but eventually we made our way—together—to the front of everything, where everyone we knew was sitting in the row nearest the front in silver chairs. We were all gathered around the front courtyard and the palace gates were sealed. Daisuke found an open seat next to Ken and he pulled Haruki and Veemon over to him. I rubbed his hair as I walked by, deciding I'd have to find my own place to sit. Next to the Ichijouji family was Hikari, and Gatomon who were sitting with Takeru and Patamon, and there were two perfect empty chairs right next to them.

I climbed over the chair, not caring about how it might look to the others and sat down, wiping a leaf off of my big clunky boots. Iori, who was sitting on Labramon's other side with Natsuni, Kana, Goblimon and Armadillomon, smiled to me and I smiled back. "How is she?" he asked.

"Spring?" Takeru asked, joining the conversation curiously. "You went to see her?"

I nodded, and then explained how nervous Spring was, but both Takeru and Iori agreed that she would be a wonderful leader. And when those two agreed on something, it certainly had to be true.

When Merlin stepped out onto the massive balcony above the entire crowd erupted in claps and while there were a few cheers from those of us in the front row, it seemed out of place with the regal members of this society.

The cheers died down slowly as Merlin raised his hands to the air, and yet even in the silence he simply stood there, taking in the sights. I could barely see him from where we were sitting, so far below, but when he finally spoke I was surprised by how clear his voice was.

"The council is officially resurrected." His statement was clear and simple, and yet once again the area filled with excited claps. My insides churned and I felt the atmosphere affecting my entire core. I was excited too. I knew it didn't directly affect me anymore, but it was still a wonderful thing to hear. Sidhendor was coming back together after such a long time wrapped in Chaos. Chaos that had been created by _all_. Merlin had created a time looping curse, Yggdrasil had torn the worlds apart, Autumn had killed Theta, and then Winter killed Sigma while Spring created Fanglongmon and Summer simply fled the land. Bitoru, Maugrim and Aesop worked for their own agendas while following Gaia's orders and Sigma—well, oddly enough, he hadn't really done anything to create that Chaos. Aside from existing of course. But then Norn and Zeta would take just as much blame in that front. "We are still seeking our fifth member, but we will make do for now." Merlin explained when the crowd had silenced again. "I am honoured to introduce you to our newest member, Bitoru Maugrim."

Bitoru made his appearance and I heard Kansui shriek at the top of his lungs toward his brother, and I couldn't help but laugh along with Takeru and Labramon at the sound. Bitoru was grinning, and I could tell he was proud of himself even from way down here. "I was once a scientist that was forced to work for our old king, Sigma. It was a deal he and my father had, for if I did what Sigma asked, then my secrets would be kept. But I do not have to fear those secrets anymore." He paused, and I noticed that his smile fell. "My mother is now dead, though she was once the only woman who held Gaia's secret. Even Morganna and my father did not know the truth until much later. But all secrets that had once been kept bottled up for safe keeping are now out in the open, and I hope you will all be able to forgive me for the wrongs I have done in this land and in all others. I want nothing more than to serve our new Queen."

Merlin laughed and placed a comforting hand on Bitoru's shoulder. "She is not Queen yet, son." Bitoru smiled to Merlin and then looked back out to the crowd as Merlin announced. "And that brings us to why we're all here today." There was total stillness in the air when Merlin finally announced, "We are here to celebrate the coronation of our new Queen." A cheer erupted once more and Merlin called out, "Please welcome Spring Drasil!"

The big doors behind them opened once more and Spring walked out into the light with her sister, Summer. The two women were holding hands as they came up to the ledge, looking down upon the crowd. Summer's hair that was usually down, draped over her shoulders, was now up in a similar fashion to Spring's.

Spring prepared herself for her speech, but took a step back, too nervous until Summer dragged her back forward, laughing. The laugh was false. It was forced. I knew that, and I was sure many of the others did as well, but Summer had explained to us all that she had been told that if she did not smile, the people would worry that their balance had not yet come and so she was putting on a brave face even though she had lost so much. It had been two months since Yume and Winter had died, but it would take _much_ longer than that to get over them, I was sure.

Spring was finally ready and she cleared her throat. There surely had to be some magic up on that balcony that projected their voices, if I could hear _that_. "In the past year we have gone through _many_ changes in our land." Spring said with a strong voice. "And it wasn't all that long ago that we lost my father, Sigma as well. Since you were all cursed and running around like silly monkeys it was probably a lot—"

Summer stopped her sister with a squeeze to her shoulders and Spring nodded, clearing her dry throat once more.

"Right," she said, "well anyway, we lost our interim Queen, Morganna. She was a wicked woman, and I am sorry to say that I do not feel sad by her loss." Summer looked worried that Spring was sounding too harsh, but the people around us seemed to be soaking it up. Spring was the balance between Summer and Winter, and sure Summer wouldn't approve of _all_ of Spring's ideals, but hopefully it would be for the better. "Morganna fed into the curse of our land and she helped my mother manipulate so many lives." Spring sighed. "Their powers were so similar. But the differences were what are truly worth noting. One could convince you that you were doing what _you_ thought was right, while the other could take and manipulate your heart. Your desires. Your _dreams_. Morganna carried a light heart with her in her chest, never weighed by guilt or shame. That is not to say that my mother was a better Queen. She would have ruled this kingdom into its most magnificent era it had ever seen, if you would be able to overlook the death and destruction that would bring our land to the top. I could not do that."

Summer was once again comforting Spring but she didn't seem to need it any longer.

"I am not _happy_ with what I did," Spring said thickly. "But I _am_ proud that I did what was right. Gaia, my mother, left destruction in her wake, but she is gone, just as Morganna and my father are. None of them were terrible leaders and each had their own strengths. Their weaknesses however, were that not a single one of them cared for anyone aside from themselves." There was a pause and I found myself gripping my chair tightly and Labramon and DemiVeemon both tried to calm me. I thought maybe Spring was accidentally venting her frustrations and sadness through her powers, but I had heard these stories before and I also felt anger and sadness in regards to them. I just didn't know it had been this powerful. "Winter, my dear sister, was a wonderful leader as well. She fought for what she thought was right, and she died to save someone she loved. That is who our Kingdom needs. Someone caring, brilliant and strong. I do not know how I could ever live up to what we need, but a wise man once told me that anything is possible if you just sit up straight and stop throwing potatoes at your sisters." A laugh—a genuine laugh from all these poised and proper people—sang out like bells though the crowd. Summer laughed too, but it was through tears now. She had failed at keeping a straight face, but perhaps it would come across as tears of joy to the others. "Aesop Maugrim was like a father to me," Spring said, her voice shaking as she spoke. "I will never forget him, or the lessons he taught me. And I promise I will do everything I can to bring this land into a long era of balance and calmness. I will do _everything_ in my power to keep you all safe for as long as you'll let me."

It wasn't really a democratic nation, but rather a monarchy, but perhaps Spring had plans to change that.

"I am going to honour all those that were lost," Spring said. "Aesop, Harmonia, Graul, Sigma, Yggdrasil, Theta and of course, Winter. I will do my best to serve you well." Spring bowed her head which I found strange, but the crowd cheered once more and while Spring stayed bowed Bitoru produced a regal pillow with two crowns. Merlin took the first and placed the golden ring on Summer's head. She thanked him and kissed his forehead before taking the large bluish crown for herself and she turned to her sister.

"You will be the perfect balance this land needs," Summer said through her tears as she placed the elaborate crown on Spring's head. I noticed then that I too was crying and then, all at once, Spring's wings shot from her back once more and the bluish crown glowed softly until it settled in at a beautiful red colour. The air around Spring and Summer seemed to be glowing and the crowd was all on their feet now, cheering and clapping for the two women who were now ready to start their new lives as rulers of the oldest kingdom, Sidhendor.

 ** _Iori Hida:_**

"Are you sure we're not simply tempting fate?" I asked Natsuni, looking in a mixed sort of horror at the sight in front of me. There were hundreds of bodies inside the ballroom, and it was wreaking havoc on my senses. I was on high alert. People were everywhere—and there were _more_ waiting outside, furious that the Digidestined were invited to the ball while they had to celebrate outdoors.

People would pass by me, standing too close for comfort.

I was getting better, after everything with Bagramon. I really was. I worked with Spring and with Summer too, each week, while we were getting the palace ready for the coronation. I had taken over cleaning duties with Summer when Ryou left, and she really helped me sort out my thoughts on the matter.

But it was still a work in progress. I wasn't going to be magically healed, despite the fact that the two fairies had magical powers. Summer could only work with my mind, and Spring could only empathize—not just with her powers, but from having been in a similar situation herself.

I talked with Kurayami too, but it was awkward, and difficult to speak to her. I knew she was planning to be a therapist. She'd finished her education, and I wanted to support her. But she was too close to me. We were quite good friends, actually, and soon we'd probably be more than that.

 _"Iori," Mom said, reaching out to stop me. I flinched, sharply, away from her. Her face dropped dramatically, and I could nearly see her heart breaking in her eyes. I was trying, but she was making it difficult._

 _"I have to get ready, Mom," I said, pointedly. I gestured to the suit that was hanging on the door behind her. "I can't be late to Spring's coronation."_

 _"Iori, I need to speak with you. It's important. I can't make a decision until you give me your opinion. I don't want to hurt you, or cause you more stress. But Iori, he wants an answer, and I want to give him one," Mom said, holding her hands, close to her chest. Meiyomon was laughing in the next room, coddling Kana and Upamon, and making Armadillomon laugh with glee. Goblimon was frantic, trying to make sure everyone was safe._

 _I could only imagine what game Meiyomon had come up with._

 _"Mom," I said slowly. "You and Okotte are dating. I know that. It's fine. I like it. Kurayami's a swell gal."_

 _"We're not," she said, shaking her head. "That's what he wanted to know. But I need to know how you feel. I rushed into things with Hiroaki, and I didn't take you into account. I just need your opinion. I want you to be honest."_

 _I took a deep breath, and tried to sort out my thoughts, without letting her actually get close to me. She could see the way I was moving away from her, and she frowned. I tried to stay put, but she kept coming closer, and I was getting better, but I wasn't perfect—and she was really pushy._

 _"Mom," I said finally. "It wasn't just_ me _you didn't take into account when you started your whirlwind romance with Hiroaki. You didn't think about me, at all, which kind of hurt, all things considered, but it was_ you _that you needed to pay more attention to. You and Hiroaki weren't suited to each other. You were both desperate for love and attention. You were both clingy, and you were both trying too hard."_

 _"I know why things fell apart," Mom said crisply. It was still a sore subject for her, not only because her second marriage fell apart, but because of the time it did so. She'd thought I was dead for the first two months of that separation, and it had really done a number on her._

 _"I just need to know that you're making the right choices for_ you _," I said. "I know that Okotte needs someone around. He craves the attention you have to give. You actually complement each other rather well, and while he could never replace my father, I don't hate him. I understand him better than I understood Hiroaki, and I think that if you're both ready to take this next step forward, that maybe that's the right path to chose."_

 _"I do," Mom said, looking to me with such a small kindling of hope in her eyes. "I really think that this time I can be happy. But we're going to take it slow. I don't want us to crash and burn. I really want this."_

 _"If you're going to go slow," I said. "Then it'll probably work out just fine."_

Obviously, if our parents were going to be dating, we were probably going to get closer over the course of—however long our parents stayed together. And we were already really close. I didn't want to weigh down our friendship with all of my feelings.

Kiyoko felt comfortable enough with Kurayami, because she understood what he'd been through. He wouldn't need to explain everything about Sigma with her in order to get any progress made. But I couldn't do that with Bagramon. She _didn't_ know everything. Spring still didn't know everything. Only Summer did, and that was only because I'd let her sort through my memories.

"Iori," Natsuni said comfortingly. "Relax. No one's going to hurt you. Summer and Spring would never allow it. No one wants to be on the queen's bad side. So just, take a deep breath or two, and we'll get through this. We'll stay an hour, maybe two. We won't be here forever."

"I can do this," I said. I wanted to believe that I wasn't lying. I didn't like to lie. And I was so tired of being afraid. I could _feel_ myself getting close to healthy place. But there was a wall there. And I just didn't know how to break through it.

My eyes scanned the crowd, and I saw Bitoru standing behind Spring, while she sat on her throne. There were three other thrones alongside hers, but they were empty. Autumn's and Winter's were self-explanatory, but Summer's shouldn't have been. She was still alive, still playing a role in the development of their country.

There were far too many colours that assaulted my eyes, as I searched the crowd, looking for Summer. There was a lot of pink, and orange, and yellow. Not many people wore red, as it was now Spring's official colour, and icy blue was in short supply as well—most likely as a way of honouring Winter's recent passing.

Tall people, short people, strong, and small people were everywhere, and I was soon overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. I tried to close my eyes and breathe deeply, but the sound was everywhere, and it was impossible to ignore their presence. I needed to escape. If I could just get outside, then I might be able to calm down enough to handle the evening.

"She's over there, Iori," Natsuni murmured to me, pointing towards the corner of the ballroom, on the right of us. Summer was leaning against a column, smiling a tired smile at the people that greeted her, while she was watching Spring on the throne.

"I'll be back," I promised.

"I know you will," Natsuni said, blowing me a kiss, and giving me a soft smile. "The worlds aren't at war anymore. There's no reason for you _not_ to."

My hand reached towards Kana, but I couldn't touch her, and I pulled my hand back. Natsuni bounced our little girl, and smiled at me again, gesturing with her head towards Summer. Natsuni was right. I could hesitate all I wanted later, when it came to physical interaction. Summer might need help _now_. I weaved through the crowd, getting a lot of complaints as I moved through the groups. My grey suit wasn't appreciated. It was a sign that I didn't 'belong' in Sidhendor. I glared sharply at anyone who dared comment loud enough for me to identify the speaker.

They flinched away, and I felt strong in those moments, because I was still able to affect them, even though I was unable to physically stop them from insulting me, my glare still worked perfectly. It was a small favour, and I definitely appreciated it.

"Summer," I called, when I was close, but not _too_ close.

That caused another round of insults by the Sidhendorian people. Apparently, I didn't respect their royalty, because I didn't use Summer's title when addressing her. I glared at them, but it was Summer that actually put their words to rest.

"My Forgiving Knight," she said loudly, and happily. I could tell she was putting a lot of extra effort into the 'happy' persona she was sharing, but she actually _was_ happy that I was there.

"My lady," I said, giving an overly flowery bow. She laughed, and I felt like an idiot, but the people left us alone. I glanced left and right, making sure they weren't too close, before I started speaking. "Are you alright?"

"No," she said. "But you knew that."

"I did," I said.

"I miss them," she told me. "It feels like everything is wrong, because it is happening without them. I haven't missed Autumn this much in years, but even losing her seems so fresh now. We've come out of this war, but we've lost too many for me to count it as a victory."

"Don't do that," I said, shaking my head. "It _is_ a victory. Don't lessen their sacrifices by taking away what they helped to earn. They wanted this outcome, that's what they were fighting for. And we managed to find it. I wish they were all here too. I miss Noriko a lot. I didn't realize how much of a friend she really was until she wasn't there anymore."

"I did not realize how much I depended on Winter," Summer agreed, "until she was gone."

"She's not really gone though," I said, shaking my head. "We know that she's not. Alice is waiting in the wings with all of our loved once. They're watching over us. Noriko and Winter are in good hands. They're celebrating eternal peace in the land of the light. Their hardships are over. We are the ones that have things to worry about, and to fear."

"I know," Summer said, "but for once, the logic I've clung to for so many years has been clouded over by my emotions. My common sense, and my heart are failing to get along."

"I know how that is," I said. She smiled gently at me, and nodded.

Her smile faded quickly, when Merlin stood beside Spring, and announced grandly to the masses that it was time for the royal family to take the floor. Summer resolutely parked her feet where they were, instead of going to the now open dance floor.

Bitoru took Spring's hand, and led her out into the opening, spinning her grandly. Spring was joyous, as he put his hand upon her waist, and the pair of them started dancing a simple, Sidhendorian jig. The people were growing restless, as Summer didn't join the pair in the dance, and I spotted several well dressed males looking as though they would be willing to ask Summer onto the dance floor.

I didn't want Summer to have to deal with that, but I couldn't exactly offer to dance with her myself, unless she just wanted to sort of _sway_ without touching each other at all.

But Spring managed to divert the attention away from Summer—who was looking more resigned by the second—by simply racing over to grab hold of Michael's hand, while Bitoru caught hold of Jenna's. Tatum held Louisa up, so she could see her dad dancing and making a fool of himself, while Chi and Clio just seemed confused about the whole thing.

Once again, people seemed to be upset by the presence of obvious _earthlings_ being involved with such a tremendous celebration, but Merlin was quick to make an announcement that sent all of the people into a tizzy—and made them forget about Summer for a moment.

While I was watching Merlin climb back up towards the thrones, Summer slinked off towards the exit, before racing off.

"Introducing Prince Michael Harvest Washington, and Princess Jenna Vesta Washington," Merlin called loudly, over the din. "The children of Autumn have graced our halls during this momentous evening. We must welcome them as our own; our royal family has come together tonight."

As I was moving towards the exit Summer took, I saw Michael and Jenna bowing to one another awkwardly, before they started doing their best to mimic what Spring and Bitoru had been doing. Tatum was recording the mess on her phone, while laughing with a gurgling Louisa. Chi was dancing with Clio, which made it easier when Jenna came rushing towards them, pulling them onto the dance floor. Tatum handed her phone to Koushiro, and went out to join Michael, still holding Louisa firmly, so that she wasn't overwhelmed.

But I didn't see anymore, since I was racing through the halls, trying to find Summer. I couldn't find her anywhere, and found myself in the middle of the courtyard. I collapsed on a bench and tried to think where Summer had gone. I didn't like where my mind ended up.

I didn't _think_ she would go to the Land of Dreams, just to torture her emotions even further, but people did make strange decisions when they were stressed and grieving, so I couldn't be sure.

I nearly screamed when I spotted someone standing at the courtyard entrance, before I realized it was just Spring. My heart was pounding, but it was calming.

"Did you find her?"

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"Maybe Bitoru has," she sighed. "I knew she was close to breaking, you know. I could feel it. I'm just as close. It's too soon to have a coronation, but the people don't care about waiting until we're ready. They need a ruler, and they were really antsy about not having one."

"You'll do fine," I assured her. "And while you're learning the ropes, you'll have time to continue grieving. You'll miss them forever though; no amount of time can take that pain away."

"I know," Spring said. "That's why I'm here tonight, instead of hiding away like I want to. I wish I could stay out here forever. It's so peaceful. No one is expecting the world from me. It's nice. But I can't. I have to go back, because I'm _queen_."

She said it like it was distasteful.

"Before you go," I said quickly. "I was just wondering, how did you make Fanglongmon?"

"You're not trying to find another great evil to defeat, are you?" she asked sceptically. I shook my head. She smiled, and sighed. "I took the peaceful energy and gave it life," she explained. "I thought I could _make_ peace come by making him. It didn't work."

"No, it didn't," I agreed. My mind was whirring though. "Spring, can you do something for me?"

"Whatever you want," she said, easily enough. I hoped she wasn't _always_ so agreeable, but I was glad for it in this moment. I whispered my idea to her, hoping that she'd be able to find a way to make it come into being. She seemed surprised for a moment, and then she seemed thoughtful, touching the crown on her head, and wondering at the added power it could give her. "I can give it a try," she promised. "But I'll have to be quick about it. I can't stay gone _too_ long. But...maybe if Summer is there, they won't notice me. I don't like using the power of the crown, but for this... This will be worth it."

"Thank you," I said. She moved out of the courtyard in the opposite direction from the ball being held in her honour, and I got to my feet, and headed back to the party. I wasn't really looking forward to being back in such a large crowd, but I needed to wait until Spring came back at least, before I headed home.

I got lost in the corridors, feeling more alone than I could have imagined. Without the intent to find Summer I was left alone with my thoughts about Bagramon and how he had kept me alone in this very castle. With constant glances over my shoulder I found myself moving in circles through the halls, but eventually I found my way back into the ballroom, and wasn't exactly surprised when I spotted Bitoru standing behind Spring's throne once again. Summer was in her throne beside him, and Michael and Jenna were both trying to sit in Autumn's throne, not wanting to sit in their Aunt Winter's throne.

Finding Natunsi was fairly difficult actually, since she'd moved around since I'd left, chasing Summer. I found her eventually, in a corner, with Ken, Tatum, Chi, Kurayami and Jou. They had a blanket spread out on the floor, and a pile of blocks for Haruki and Mai to play with. Kana and Renjiro were getting their stomachs tickled, and giggling like mad, while Louisa and Clio were trying to fall asleep despite the live music, and the enormous crowd. Emiko and Momoe were out on the dance floor, with Bearmon, Monmon and Gomamon. Goblimon was dancing with Biyomon, Miyako and Hawkmon, while Koushiro and Mimi danced together, next to Agumon and Palmon.

I couldn't find everyone else, and I wasn't even certain that they were all still hanging around. They might've left, or found food somewhere. I wasn't too bothered by it. They were all adults, and could handle themselves just fine. It wasn't like there was really anything dangerous around.

That's what I kept reminding myself anyway.

I found it actually hard to keep my skin from crawling when I knew exactly where I'd been trapped for weeks on end, at the receiving end of Bagramon's undivided attention. It wasn't far from where I was standing. I'd been back to Sidhendor several times. I'd been working with Spring and Summer after all. But it was the first time that _Kana_ was near where I'd been held, and I didn't like it.

Yet I could let my logic hold out over my feelings, if I tried hard enough—and Natsuni reminded me that everything was fine several times over the course of the night.

I wanted to check the time, but it didn't help me any. I was anxious and impatient. Spring hadn't come back, and I was afraid that my idea had proven to be impossible. I really hoped that wasn't true. It wasn't something I wanted for myself. This was something I wanted for someone else—someone _important_ to me.

"There's Spring," Kurayami murmured. My eyes immediately sought out all possible entrances.

"She's so pretty tonight," Tatum said, cooing to Louisa. "I just hope she can feel comfortable in her new position soon."

I found her. She was walking towards her throne, ignoring any questioning glances, before she dramatically sat in her seat. I didn't know if that meant it was a success, or a failure. I moved through the crowd, hoping to catch her eye. And when I did, she winked at me.

"What's going on?" Natsuni asked. I should've known she'd follow me. I was acting curiously, and she was rather inquisitive. I ignored the man dressed in an orange ensemble that practically fainted because Spring had winked at 'him', and put my hand on Natsuni's shoulder, turning to look at her with a bright smile.

"Just wait," I told her. But she wasn't as excited as I was. At first, I thought it was because she had no idea what was going on—which would definitely keep _me_ from being excited—but then I realized her eyes were tearing up, and she was staring at my hand...

...which was on her shoulder.

I was just as surprised as she was, and my first instinct was to pull away, but there was no point. Contact had already been initiated, and nothing bad had happened. I wasn't hurt in any way, and she didn't seem to be hurt, even though she was crying.

It really was all a figment of my mind.

But then the guests were gasping, and I took my hand away, to see what was happening—though I already knew what was going on. I just needed to _see_ it.

A man was walking confidently through the people—and they parted so that he had a clear path. He was dressed in golden colours, with sandy brown for variations. He wore a crown on his head, which I was _sure_ was the thing that had people talking the most.

"Is that—?" Natsuni asked, looking to me sharply, and bouncing Kana, who was starting to get fussy. She was tired, and I knew we should have left already, but I needed to see this moment.

"It is," I assured her, and I watched as the man stopped in front of Summer and knelt down, bowing deeply, before standing and offering her his hand. Summer was already on her feet, her hand over her mouth, and tears falling down her cheeks. She took his hand without hesitation, but instead of letting him lead her in a waltz, or some other dance, she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around him and sobbing into his shoulder. He held her close, petting her hair, and letting her release the pent up emotions that she'd been trying to hide from her people since the magic that had created him dispersed.

"Yume's alive?" Natsuni questioned.

"He is now," I told her. "Let's get Kana home. Spring's going to break the party up soon anyway. She'll want to let Summer have however much time she needs to get used to Yume being alive on a permanent basis."

"Did you do this?" Natsuni wanted to know.

"Summer never needs to know," I said firmly. "She's done enough for me. It was mostly Spring anyway."

Natsuni smiled, though she was still crying—for a different reason than the first time though. She reached out for my hand, but pulled away. I reached out tentatively, and she smiled, but before our hands could touch, Kana made her presence known, throwing a tired tantrum and launching herself away from Natsuni, and I caught her, before she could fall to the floor. I looked at Kana, and then to Natsuni with wide eyes.

"Welcome home," Natsuni told me, as I turned Kana upright, and pressed her against my chest. Natsuni nudged my elbow tentatively, and I held it out for her to take, as we walked out of the palace.

And she was right. Two months after the fighting had finished, I'd overcome the biggest hurdle that had been haunting me. I was able to be with my family again, instead of being an observer. I'd found my way home. And it felt damn good to be there.

 ** _Ken Ichijouji:_**

I tried to suppress a sigh as I walked into work. It was a _good_ thing that nothing overly exciting was happening. That just meant that no one was breaking the law this early in the morning, but it was still hard to keep the sigh at bay. I was tired of the tedious, repetitive nature of the job.

The Digital World and all of my adventures had spoiled me, and now regular police work just didn't seem nearly interesting enough in comparison. I knew that I wanted to found my own detective firm, but it would take time, and no one wanted to hire a detective without years of experience.

It had only been six months since the fall of Gaia, and we'd been freed from our destinies. I knew that I had _years_ to go before I could realize my detective dreams, but it was still a tad disappointing. I was also exhausted from the party I'd been to the night before. I hadn't been able to just let go and have fun in such a long time. It was exhilarating—at the time. Now it just seemed like a terrible idea.

"Good morning Ken," Kimi called from her desk. I trudged over to her, and kind of leaned against the desk, trying to shake off the lingering desire to just curl up in a ball and sleep for a few more hours. It was too late to do that. I just needed to chug some coffee, and get something interesting to work on.

"Morning, Kimi," I said. She laughed at my tired voice, and handed over a takeaway cup from a local coffee shop. I grinned and took the offered beverage, sighing contentedly as I took my first sip. She laughed again, and I couldn't help but think my day was looking up. I had coffee, which was always a plus.

Now that I didn't have the weight of the worlds on my shoulders getting me out of bed in the morning, I'd developed a strong relationship with coffee. It was the only thing that could wake me up anymore—especially since Mai had _finally_ stopped waking us up in the middle of the night a few months ago.

I wasn't going to complain about the boring nature my life had adopted though.

It may seem like I was ungrateful, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Those six months after Gaia's demise were the best six of my life. Miyako and I were free from all the worries that had been weighing down heavily on us as individuals, and making our marriage more difficult than it needed to be. Now, without the fear and the panic welling up inside our hearts, we were able to truly dedicate ourselves to each other and our family.

Mai was growing so much, and for the first time since EVOLVE started rising, I didn't fear for her future. She was a lively, loud and demanding little girl. She was two years old, and was starting to talk up a real storm, and was walking around, commanding attention, and asking so many questions— _endless_ questions, that I didn't always have the answers for, but I was always willing to do the research to find them for her.

She and Poromon always had some sort of 'adventure' to share with me when I made it home, filled with elaborate plot twists, and dangerous monsters. Poromon always digivolved to save the day, and would look to Hawkmon expectantly. Hawkmon would then, dutifully, compliment Poromon on his obvious quick thinking, and Poromon would bask in the praise. Mai, not one to let Poromon get all the attention, would then explain how she _also_ digivolved to save the day, and I'd have to fight a smile, struggling to keep my face solemn as I commended her for her efforts.

Obviously, there was still _some_ stuff about digivolution I hadn't explained properly, but I didn't want to burst her bubble. She was always so proud of their stories, and I liked that she used her imagination to the fullest.

"Earth to Ken?" Kimi called, waving her hand at me. "Do you and the coffee need a minute?"

"Maybe," I said, cradling the coffee against my chest, dramatically. She laughed again, and rolled her eyes.

"Tell me what happened!" she demanded, sounding very much like she'd already said the exact phrase several times, while I'd savoured the coffee she'd offered.

"It was just a wedding," I said, shrugging. "There was food, far fewer digimon attacks than I expected. It was pretty boring overall, actually."

"Be serious," she said, shaking her head. "It was a celebrity wedding. I still can't believe you're friends with celebrities—and that you got an invitation. Were there like, a bunch of famous people there, or what?"

"I happen to believe that the Digidestined are famous," I said jokingly. She wasn't interested in jokes though. She wanted details. "Michael's dad was there, obviously, and the queen and princess of Sidhendor showed up, along with the newly dubbed king of the Land of Dreams. It was quite a regal affair. But I mean, some of Michael's coworkers were there too, I guess. I don't really watch the show, because I don't like reading subtitles, and I can't understand English well enough, but I guess they're famous too."

"And Tatum was there too," Kimi said, sounding more than a little star struck. Tatum was like her own personal hero, which I found a _little_ disappointing, because I was a Digidestined and I was her friend, and I wasn't even her favourite, but Tatum was pretty great. She'd quit acting to pursue a research career, and was heavily involved with philanthropy. She was also the mother of a bubbly six month old, who was the light in both of her parents' eyes.

"It would be hard to have a wedding without the bride," I said, rolling my eyes. "Her parents came, and a few of her famous friends. I don't know. I wasn't too fussed about them."

"That's because you were too focused on the Teenage Wolves," Kimi said.

"They're my favourite band," I said defensively. "But I wasn't weird about it. I _know_ Yamato. I'm not crazy obsessed, I just like the music. I was there for Michael anyway. It was pretty great, really. Everyone had a lot of fun, and everything was going pretty smoothly throughout the ceremony. We were all waiting for an attack or something, but no monsters popped out of nowhere to destroy everything."

"But...?" Kimi prompted.

"The paparazzi came out of the woodworks and were really inconvenient, and annoying. Tatum had a bit of a fit, and sent some of the digimon to guard the perimeter, and then the wedding went back to moving smoothly," I said with a shrug. "Yamato sang for a bit, we all danced, we had food— _really good_ food—and just had fun. And then we had to leave, because of the stupid time difference, and I didn't get a lot of sleep."

"Boo," Kimi said with a pout. "I forgot about the time difference."

"I think we all did," I said, not too bothered anymore. "But it was fun. Mai had a good time, and she tried to kidnap Louisa. We caught her before she could get away with it. It wasn't a good plan. But it was adorable."

"You think that means she's after a little sister of her own?" Kimi asked with a smirk.

"I don't think we're going to let _Mai_ dictate if or when that happens," I said shaking my head. "I'm not opposed. Mai's the single most perfect child in all the worlds. Now, I _might_ be biased, but you've met her, haven't you?"

Kimi laughed again. "And the award for the stereotypical proud father goes to..."

"Yeah, yeah," I said. It wasn't a _bad_ thing that I thought the world of Mai. I knew there were things she did that were probably annoying to other people, but I took every moment with her, every word she said, everything she accomplished as a gift. She'd almost been taken from us, and yet, I couldn't even remember my life without her anymore. She was so important to me. She was our little miracle, and I would never take that for granted.

"When's the next wedding?" Kimi asked. "Your friends, Takeru and Hikari are getting married right? They're the ones that were going to get married before all that scary stuff went down, aren't they? Or was that someone else?"

"No, it was them," I said. "They're still working on it. Taichi offered to pay for the wedding, because he claims it was _his_ fault that the wedding got ruined, but they won't take him up on it. They paid for the first wedding out of their own pockets, and they want to do the same again. I don't know if they've picked a date yet, but I know it's going to be soon. They don't want to wait too much longer."

"I don't blame them," Kimi said. "There's only so long people can handle putting their lives on hold. Nine months is a long time to wait after the first wedding fell through."

"Well, Takeru's book is being taken more seriously now," I told her. "Last I checked, it was number eight on the best sellers list. It used to be viewed as a rebel kind of thing, but now people are really clambering to know the story of the Digidestined, if only to understand exactly what happened with Gaia and everything. He's got a book deal. The publisher can't wait to get their hands on the next instalment. I don't know how I feel about _that_ one, but I don't want him to lie about what happened."

"That's when you did the...not so nice stuff," she guessed.

"That's when I did the _very_ bad stuff, yes," I sighed. "But I was eleven, and I've come a long way since then."

"Not to mention half the world fell under Gaia's control, so they'd be a little bit more sympathetic to your thing with the black plant," Kimi said supportively.

"Dark Spore," I corrected. "He's let me read some of it. I'd forgotten just how crazy and cruel I was. At first I didn't really believe it, but then I remembered, yep, I kicked a puppy."

"You saved the world countless times," Kimi said seriously. "You've saved everyone's lives. If they can't handle what you did as a child, then they're just being ungrateful, and they don't deserve the Digidestined. You're like the first in a long trend of Digidestined that were once the enemy, aren't you?"

"I really was, wasn't I?" I asked, chuckling, thinking about Kurayami, Neo, Hideto, Mari and Kiyoko.

The front door opened, and I wondered if I really ought to get to my desk to see what paperwork I needed to work on. When a woman walked towards Kimi's desk, I decided to just go and get to work, agreeing to Kimi's offer of meeting over lunch. I got lost in my paperwork, working through it with a rhythm and sharp focus. I was thorough and methodical.

I was also a tad bit bored, but paperwork did that to everyone, so I at least knew I wasn't alone.

My pile of papers was diminishing, when Kimi's shadow was cast over my desk. I was relieved to just get away from my work for half an hour, and we headed out back, where there was a picnic table close to the rear of the station. We couldn't stray too far, in case of emergency.

"You'll never guess who's coming in today," Kimi said, taunting me with her office gossip. I was typically too focussed on work to actually catch the gossip that was being spread around. Kimi was the only reason I knew anything about any of our fellow officers—though she never shared anything bad. She didn't like spreading cruel knowledge, regardless of whether it was true or not.

"Is it Tatum?" I asked, because she seemed too excited for it to be just anybody.

"No," Kimi said, "but how awesome would that be? It's Yakuin! His doctor finally gave him a clean bill of health, and he's got the green light from his therapist too. He's in a good place again. Do you think he'll be the guy he introduced us to when we met him?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "That would be impossible. No one can move backwards like that. He's been through way too much. He's never going to be the same again, but that doesn't mean he's not going to be a great guy. He's just not going to be the same one as before, that's all."

"I guess you're right," she said.

I expected him to come by towards the end of my shift, or something. I had no actual reason behind this belief, and it turned out to be incredibly wrong. Kimi and I had just finished talking about him, and he wandered out the back door of the station, as if he'd been waiting for the right cue. He stopped beside the picnic table, awkwardly unsure about himself, looking at Kimi and me with a tentative fear in his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I got to my feet and stuck my hand out for him. He smiled and gripped my hand firmly, shaking it.

"How're you feeling?" I asked him, looking to his shoulder.

"Better," he said. "I finally feel like she's out of my head. The shoulder's fine too, but _she_ was the reason I didn't come back sooner."

"It's not your fault," Kimi said quickly, but firmly.

"That's not entirely true," Yakuin said. "Not everyone in the world fell to her tricks. Almost everyone was able to resist her before she actually made it to the same world as us. I couldn't do that. Just the echo of her power was enough to control me. It was so gradual that I honestly thought it was my decision every step of the way. I couldn't even feel myself falling for her whims until I'd started shooting at you, and by then it was too late to do anything about it."

"I get it," I said, dismissively. But my dismissal just made Yakuin more frustrated.

"I'm trying to apologize," he said finally, getting his frustration under control. "I know that I wasn't the _only_ one at fault, but I did those things. I thought I was doing the right thing. I fell faster than almost everyone else. I did EVOLVE's dirty work. I tried to get your friend thrown in prison. I can separate the things I _wanted_ to do from the things I didn't, and I know that _she_ was influencing me every step of the way. But I'm not going to give myself a free pass."

"Your therapist didn't try and get you to let go?" I wondered, before hesitating. Was I _meant_ to know that he had a therapist? I glanced at Kimi and her eyes were wide, but Yakuin just laughed.

"Dr Motomiya was full of all sorts of ideas and similar situations," he said plainly, laughing again at my surprised face. Kurayami was his therapist. It made sense, though, when I thought about it. She had a lot of experience with being manipulated by malevolent forces. I was glad that it was her, instead of someone else—Dr Chiryo came to mind—because she could really help him.

And I had really been hoping that he could get through this, so we could get back to being friends.

"She's really been helping me. She won't let me take responsibility for everything, which was a huge thing for me, but I'm glad she was there to talk met through every step of the way," Yakuin said. "I just talked with the chief. I'll be starting up again next week. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with that, because I can still put in for a transfer. I tried to kill you, so I would understand if my presence made you uncomfortable."

"Some of my best friends tried to kill me at some point," I said, rolling my eyes. "It's the fact that you won't be trying again that's actually important."

"I swear, I don't feel any urges anymore," he said confidently.

"Then I think we're good," I said, looking to Kimi.

"Yay," she cheered. "Things can finally get back to normal."

Yakuin stuck around for the rest of our lunch break, but headed home to let us get back to work. I felt rather hopeful for the rest of the day, and managed to get through the paperwork without getting bored—even getting a head start on the next day's work load before it came time to clock out.

Kimi and I parted ways in the parking lot, and I was on my way home. I listened to some of Yamato's newest music in the safety of my car, and was in a pretty good mood when I finally reached the house. It didn't give me horrific chills anymore, which was a rather welcome change.

I slipped in the front door, and Wormmon paused, turning to look at me with wide eyes, before looking back to the cookie he'd been sneaking out of the cookie jar. I winked at him, and he munched it down. I rubbed his head, and he crawled up my arm, as I walked further into the house.

The sounds of one of Mai's kid CDs was playing in the living room, and I peered in to see that Mai and Miyako were stretching, reaching down to touch their toes, before reaching up to the sky, and cheering as they reached as high as they could. They started doing the twist, and flapping their arms like chickens, when I noticed that Hawkmon and Poromon were dancing too—and not looking particularly interested in Miyako and Mai's chicken dance.

Hawkmon crossed his wings and looked entirely unimpressed. Miyako laughed, and reached over, grabbing Hawkmon's wings, and spinning him around. There was something different about her, and I couldn't put my finger on it.

I didn't have time to really figure it out at that moment, because Mai shouted and ran at me. I caught her under the arms and tossed her in the air, before catching her around the waist, and holding her against my chest. She peppered my face with kisses, before she started kissing Wormmon—even though he'd been there all day.

"Good day?" Miyako asked, wandering over to kiss me—though Mai was trying her hardest to get in the way. Miyako patted Mai on the head, and Mai giggled, happy that she had a lot of attention in that moment.

"Really good," I agreed. "Yakuin's coming back. I drank enough coffee to stay awake, despite the late night. It was good."

"I'm glad," she said. Her fingers twitched a little, but they were ready to catch Mai, when she flopped over. I was still holding her waist, but she wanted Mommy now. I let her go, when Miyako had her secured, and laughed, reaching down to pat Poromon, who was waiting for his turn.

Miyako poked Mai's nose, and I was caught off guard when the realization hit me. She wasn't wearing her gloves, but she was wearing a sleeveless dress. Her scars were completely visible. Obviously, the twitching was because she was uncomfortable, and I knew I couldn't point it out, or else I could've upset her. But it was a huge step. She'd been hiding those scars for _years_. She was ashamed of them.

But she wasn't hiding them anymore.

It was still early stages. She was in the comfort of our own home, but it was still _big_ news, and I was so proud of her. They were a part of her, and her journey. And she was the most beautiful person I had ever encountered.

"Kimi thinks Mai's after s-i-b-l-i-n-g-s," I told Miyako. She looked up to me intrigued, but not surprised. She'd clearly already picked up the signs, and smiled.

"I think we should really think about it," Miyako decided. "I want more kids—"

"So do I," I said quickly.

"I just don't know if now's the right time," she finished, winking at me. "I think someone's got another story for Daddy though." I looked to Mai, who was looking at me with a big grin.

"Did you go on another adventure today?" I asked her.

"YES!" she shouted loudly.

"Tell me?" I prompted. She decided she didn't want Mommy after all, and tried to throw herself at me. I took her and laid down on the couch, so that Wormmon could find somewhere more comfortable than my shoulder, and Poromon could join us, giving Miyako and Hawkmon some time alone—however short Mai decided that time could be.

"Don't forget about the part where I ultra-digivovled," Poromon insisted. Mai nodded solemnly to him, and I nearly lost myself to laughter, but I managed to reign it in, while Mai launched into her story. I couldn't understand all of the words, but it seemed _far_ more exciting than any adventure _I_ had ever gone on.

 ** _Neo Saiba:_**

"Don't call here again!" Kansui barked into the phone as I walked through the door of my office. Even with my arms crossed and lips pursed Kansui, as usual, failed to register what emotion I was trying to convey. He smiled to me and wiggled his thin fingers in a sort of wave. I let my eyes wander to Miyako who mirrored my raised eyebrows back to me and we turned back to Kansui together. "I simply do not care what you have to say anymore, unless it is in the form of a hand written apology. Calligraphy will be expected. Good day, sir." Kansui slammed the phone down on the receiver and groaned, rubbing his temples as if he had just gone through some very tedious labour.

"What was that?" I asked as calmly as I could, my arms were still crossed.

"This preposterous man wanted to know where I got my hair done!" I was ashamed to admit that my stomach actually dropped. Even after all this time and all his confusing choices, I still found surprise and annoyance in his actions. Kansui ran his hand through his perfectly placed hair and smiled to me. "Of course that was offensive. As if I would let him in on my secrets—it is so important for me to be one of a kind."

"Oh you're one of a kind alright," Miyako said, grinning to herself as she returned to the computer at her desk. Kansui glowed with her praise and he held both hands folded over his heart as if he were so deeply touched by her compliment.

I moved across the hardwood floor and stopped in front of Kansui's desk, looking down to him, keeping my gaze firm. "How does this man know what your hair looks like, Kansui?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh," Kansui laughed, turning his computer screen to face me. "I've recently made a blog to showcase my hair, and for my contact information I wrote down the office phone number."

I took a deep breath and rested my hands on the surface of Kansui's desk. I didn't even fear the level of disgust because I knew that my coworkers were all capable of cleaning thoroughly and we all shared the desire to keep everything in order. "And why could you not give them your own number, Kansui?"

He rolled his eyes. "Neo, I can't do that because my other blog—you know, the one about my award-winning smile? Yeah, that one has my real phone number. And of course you understand why I must keep these things separate."

"Your smile won an award?" Miyako asked.

"No," Kansui said, "not yet."

"Well then it isn't award-winning," she pointed out. "Award-winning means that it won an award."

Kansui gasped as if his entire life had been a lie and I was forced to one more roll my eyes. "Kansui, just remove the phone number." I said flatly. He pouted, but I didn't change my stance. Instead I simply turned away from him and walked over to Miyako who was still clicking away on her computer. "What have you been up to?"

Without missing a beat Miyako replied, "We've run into a small bump with the laws incorporating the digimon into the pay rolls for the jobs they've been performing over the past few months. Bengoshi is in a meeting right now discussing the obvious next steps to move past the issues and we're pretty sure we're going to have to run through each digimon to register them in the way the humans are because people are just not ever going to accept that they get to run by different rules. And I suppose that's fair." Miyako took a breath and finally looked away from her screen. "I've also finished the reports you asked for, and sent them to Taichi. But I did notice an interesting flaw in your schedule for the next month. You've actually scheduled two meetings at the same time, and they are on opposite sides of the world."

I hesitated for a moment, and then said, "But I am not in charge of planning my meetings."

Miyako's eyes flicked over to Kansui who was drawing a picture now, and then she looked back to me. "I know," she assured me with a smile. "Don't worry, I've adjusted everything. You should be fine." I nodded, thankful to have Miyako around. Kansui was a strange man and I _loathed_ the fact that I did not despise him. Truthfully I enjoyed his company despite his horrible personality and pompous nature. It was unfortunate really, because it meant I could not bring myself to fire him.

It had been nearly a full year since I had been elected and so far Miyako, Kansui, Bengoshi and I had accomplished more than I had hoped for. Not only had we safely prepared the world for the gates for the Digital World to open again but we had incorporated both races together and we would keep working for that equality to properly come to existence.

"Your break is scheduled now," Kansui pointed out. "Would you like for me to make you a lunch appointment?"

I turned to him. "For future reference, you must ask me _before_ my lunch break arrives or I will miss my appointment." Kansui nodded in understanding, though I had reminded him several times. "And no, I do not need an appointment made, I have other plans."

"What kind of other plans?" Kansui asked in his high pitched drawl. His question was answered without me having to say a word when the elevator arrived at the end of our wonderfully clean and composed hallway. All eyes turned to the silver doors and when they parted they revealed Kansui's sister, Evelen.

Evelen was wearing her usual black attire, this time it was black jeans and a black denim jacket over a white and purple blouse. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, which I knew was her favourite way to wear it, and her makeup was simplified. Evelen was truly beautiful.

When Kansui snorted his laughter I realized that my face had turned an embarrassingly dark shade of red. I cleared my throat and chose to ignore Kansui and his invasive personality. "I shall return in two hours, and I expect your write-ups to be completed, edited and filed using the correct alphabetical system."

Kansui groaned, but was nodding anyway. "I still do think we should sort everything by colour and or size."

"Not going to happen," I said firmly, walking away from Kansui immediately.

Evelen looked to me but did not smile. I knew she was likely nervous. She had been informing me that this idea was a terrible one for weeks and only recently came to me claiming that she was finally ready.

Evelen's father had been dead for six months now, and I had not seen her for much of this time. Evelen had taken Gankoomon and Hackmon along with her in her attempt to grieve and grow. I could not understand the true nature of long term loss. Rei came back from Witchenly, perfectly alive and well and that was the closest to loss I had ever experienced. Rei was sure that losing our father to his horrible personality and that wretched woman was a loss that we had to endure but I simply could not have cared less about any of that. Evelen had actually lost her father, and Aesop as well, even if she had never been quite as close to the old man as she had been to her father.

Maugrim was a terrible man, but he had been her family and now he was gone completely along with her long lost mother who had come back to life for all of eleven minutes before dying at Gaia's hand.

I walked right past Evelen without saying anything and she stepped backward into the elevator. We were both silent as the elevator began to move, and it did not bother me in the slightest. Silence was the best way to bond with someone, because the truth always came out in the quiet, but it was clear that Evelen was uncomfortable when she said, "So, how was your day?"

"Do you want to postpone this?" I asked her flatly, reaching toward the elevator's 'stop' button.

Evelen grabbed my hand and pulled it back sharply. "I do," she said flatly, "but I can't do it." She paused for a moment, looking down to where our hands were intertwined. She paused for a rather long few seconds and then pulled her hand back. "I can't keep hiding myself and running away from what I want." If only I had said something similar to that. Oh, yes that's right, I _had_. Several times actually. "Bitoru got Spring's mind back, I found my mother and Kansui found someone who respects him. The curse was entirely shattered. That means I can go. I can do it. I really can. I just have to be brave and go."

"Bitoru's curse was entirely composed by Gaia, while you and Kansui were plagued by the Chaos," I explained, "they were very different." Evelen nodded because she knew that, but it didn't change anything to her it seemed. "And you are no longer cursed to stay away from Sidhendor. You could simply walk in, and if it weighs too heavily on your shoulders, you could simply walk away. But I still find myself curious as to why exactly you feel a draw to Sidhendor at all. You were never born there, and it is not your home."

Evelen sighed. "That may be true," she said, looking toward me, biting her bottom lip. "I can't help that I want to go." That I could at least understand. And who was I to stand in the way of what Evelen wanted? I would never stop her from pursuing her goals, no matter what they may be. I had even allowed her to live a year in the Digital World when there was no promise she could ever return home simply because she wanted to. Evelen was my friend, and I cared for her happiness.

Evelen and I passed into the Digital World through the computer in the lobby and found Dracomon waiting for us. Of course he chose to wait by the waterfall even though he had explained three times that he would be at the entrance to the camp. He had several obedience issues that I would like to work on with him.

The Temple was never particularly clean unfortunately, and it seemed that no one cared much about this. Most digimon simply carried clods of dirt or mud through the halls and the floors and walls were cleaned infrequently as a result. It simply did not matter how often Babamon used her broom through the halls, the mud would always be there. With the Temple being so regularly dirty, it did not feel out of place to have this camp here instead, out in the wilderness. There were puddles where the rain from the previous night had fallen and there were wads of mud accumulating in the most frequented paths.

We took the Sidendor key from the largest tent without permission of course because quite frankly I did not care whatsoever about receiving Taichi's permission for anything. He married my sister without asking _my_ permission after all.

I chose to let Evelen perform the actual motion to open the door, which she gracefully did. It was then that she chose to stall as if she were afraid of opening the door.

Dracomon rolled his eyes dramatically and while I felt the need to do the same, I knew that Evelen would only grow to be frustrated and storm off to wait for a different day. Honestly I did not care to go back to Sidhendor myself, and had been there enough times for a lifetime, but I was here to support Evelen and I knew that she would be far happier in her life if she could simply take that step forward.

After several minutes Dracomon began to hum a song to himself, and Evelen seemed to be rethinking her choices. I was annoyed because I was so sure Taichi would come into the secluded section of the camp that we had escaped to sooner rather than later and we would have to explain why we had stolen the key. I had no desire to explain myself to him, and so I would have preferred Evelen just open the door.

"Why don't you just open the door?" Dracomon asked. "Or knock. Just knock..." There was a pause and Dracomon pulled on my pant leg. "Why isn't she knocking?" There was another pause as no one answered him and Dracomon groaned. "Oh move over, I'll do it."

Before I could stop him from overstepping into Evelen's personal choices he staggered to a stop himself as a loud voice pierced through the mostly quiet hallway. The three of us turned toward Kansui who was making his way towards us, waving his arms dramatically. "Neo! I knew I would find you here!" Evelen, Dracomon and I groaned as one when Kansui slid to a stop next to us, holding a printed paper in his hands. "You're in the news!"

I tore the paper from Kansui's hands and looked it over, finding that I had been quoted once more for seeking equipoise. I handed the article back to Kansui, knowing that this would not usually warrant him chasing after me. Kansui was also not an intelligent person so it was highly unlikely that he had used any form of common sense in order to find us all here today. "Kansui, what are you doing?"

He looked to me and held up the article, pointing to it and tried to speak but found his mouth to be too dry. I reached into the bag at my side and handed him a water bottle that I would not be wanting him to return to me, but he shook his head and swallowed thickly. "I-I just wanted to c-come."

"And how exactly did he know where we were going?" Evelen asked, folding her arms across her chest with an amused smile.

"It wasn't hard to figure out," Dracomon said. "We're going _nowhere_ very slowly." Evelen shot him a glare but he just laughed at himself as Kansui continued to stammer.

"Did you log into my email again?" I asked, annoyed that Kansui was so gifted at finding my password no matter what I changed it to.

"Your password was rather obvious," Kansui said, embarrassed. Evelen and Dracomon both cocked their heads, interested in what that password may have been. "Kansui-is-an-idiot." He said it all rather quickly because there were no spaces between the words. Of course I had underestimated Kansui's ego for I would have never guessed that he would have given such a password an attempt.

"So you wish to come along to Sidhendor then," I noted, and Kansui nodded his head vigorously. I looked to Evelen to weigh in with her on whether it would be alright for Kansui to come with us on her adventure. Evelen slowly nodded and I turned back to him. "Very well. Open the door then. Your sister can't seem to solve the puzzle known as a knob."

Evelen gasped, pretending to be offended—or perhaps she truly was offended, but I could never tell with someone as complex as she—and she reached forward all at once, grabbing Kansui's hand and then she all but ripped the door from the hinges that attached it to the rather magical rounded frame that stood on the forest floor, connected to no wall, but rather the air.

A gust of wind burst from the door as we all stared down the beautiful sparkling corridor of the Sidhendor castle. The light that came through was a warm rose colour and the smell was that of flowers or honey. It was everything that it needed to be to invite Evelen inside. I could not have imagined a more welcoming atmosphere, and it seemed Evelen agreed because she was finally through with standing around in Taichi's dingy camp and took a quick step forward, holding her head high and her shoulders back. She was essentially dragging her brother along behind her and both of them had made it into Sidhendor. The land of their ancestors.

It was not the first time they had set foot in the dimension they were currently walking into, but Evelen had yet to enter the land of Sidhendor itself—simply not attending Spring's coronation, unlike Kansui.

With the four of us making our way through the hallways, it seemed they had finally taken the final step in not only accepting their culture, but also the death of their father.

It did not take long until we were spotted by a pair of bumbling palace guards dressed in gaudy armour. They were quick to 'apprehend' us, as they had called it, but we were lucky to have Kansui on our side because his ego truly shone.

"I am the brother of Bitoru, the future king of this land!" Kansui bellowed loudly. "Unhand me _immediately_ , you absolute _oaf_."

Evelen looked ready to completely implode as if this could not have been a worse introduction to the land, but if she had expected any venture into any of the other worlds to go smoothly then she simply had not spent enough time with the Digidestined. Dracomon was gnawing on the guard's arms and even though they were not showing any signs of releasing us he kept his determination fuelling his actions.

Kansui's shrieks had been overheard and a few moments later there was a clear voice telling the guards to release us.

The tight grip that had been held around my wrist finally vanished and I fell to the floor, landing rather smoothly only to be knocked from my hands and knees by another body landing on top of me. There was a loud groan and I realized that it had been Evelen, and I decided I would be far more gentle when I pushed her off of me. Evelen rolled when I attempted to stand and she landed on the stone floor next to me. I looked up and she was smiling sheepishly, reaching out to help me to my feet.

I took her hand and she pulled until we were sitting next to each other, surrounded by the guards who were still standing all around us. I turned my gaze from Evelen's eyes and saw that Kansui and Dracomon were on their feet, speaking with the man who had saved us from the guard's. It was Kansui and Evelen's brother, Bitoru.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked incredulously, shoving Kansui back as he tried to embrace him. "Shouldn't you all be on Earth?"

"We came to experience life like Dad did!" Kansui exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Let's get farming!"

Bitoru looked bemused but simply said, "Perhaps another time." Kansui's shoulders slumped but Bitoru was quick to add, "Perhaps we could explore the castle instead?" Kansui nearly burst with joy as he took his brother by the arm and began dragging him off. The guards all advanced, readying their swords but Bitoru silenced them and sent them off, assuring them that he would be safe here with us. It was true, but I didn't think it was necessary to inform the guards. Surely they knew that Bitoru could not be defeated by Kansui, Evelen or myself. The guards must not have been screened before being hired because they certainly didn't seem to be quite so intelligent.

Bitoru led us directly to the throne room, which was brightly lit and decorated with crystals of flowers and butterflies. Summer and Yume were alone in the room, sitting in the two largest thrones and speaking to one another in hushed tones as they simply smiled to one another.

"Ah," Yume said when he caught sight of us. "They're finally here."

Summer rounded on us and she smiled. "We weren't expecting you so soon," she said gracefully, composing herself immediately. "You were quite brave to move forward so quickly." Her eyes were focused directly on Evelen whose face turned red as she tilted her head to avoid eye contact. Her hands moved quickly to my arm where she held tightly. I reached out and attempted to comfort her, but she seemed to pity me, realizing that it was not my area of expertise and she released my arm.

"Should I fetch Spring then," Yume offered.

"No need!" Spring shouted. I hadn't any idea where her voice was coming from, but it was echoing quite clearly and then all at once she appeared before us, using her wings to propel her. The mass of curls fell from her head now as they once had, but they had been cared for and she looked much more presentable than she usually had. I was sure it hadn't been her that had treated her hair, but at least _someone_ cared for her appearance.

Spring pulled Yume by the arm, removing him from her throne and then she shoved him into the throne next to hers, which had clearly once belonged to Autumn. He laughed at her, but she was paying him no mind, creating a wooden stool to rest her feet on. She leaned back into her throne and then smiled at us with her childish toothy grin.

"You were expecting us," Dracomon guessed.

"Well not so much _you_ ," Spring said, and Dracomon pouted. "You were just a pleasant surprise." He perked up and beamed toward Spring who sent a wink his way. "We were expecting the children of the Chaos."

Evelen stiffened next to me and even Kansui seemed upset by his new title, apparently at a loss for words.

"Balance has been reached," Summer said with a sad voice. She pursed her lips and folded her hands over her lap before she spoke again. "Those blessed by peace and those cursed by Chaos have finally found a place of equality." Her voice was dry and it was clear she was saddened by this news. I knew it must have been about Winter, her fallen sister. I would never admit it aloud, but I understood her feelings. I knew what it meant to lose a sister, even if mine had come back to me after some time. "Peace did not mean happy, just as Chaos did not mean sadness. We have all experienced both peace and chaos in our lives, but now we are ready to live in balance."

Evelen seemed to release her tension and she turned to me, a smile on her face. It seemed as if Summer's words were enough to nullify all of Evelen's fears about her future. It seemed unfortunate that she required the words of others to validate herself and fuel her self-worth, but we had time to work on that later. For now, I was just glad she was able to smile. I was actually rather unhappy with the way that smile affected the speed of my heartbeat however.

"We have much to talk about," Spring said, "but we will not find time to cover it all now. Perhaps we could arrange a sit down dinner where we would talk about your purpose in our land."

"Oh my god I'm a prince, right?" Kansui asked, probably hoping for it to be true more than actually believing in the idea.

"No," Summer said flatly, "but the influence that has been passed to you from Apocalymon—from my mother's heart—could be dangerous if you do not know the full extent of its power. You have pure chaos inside you, and it is imbalanced alone, just as our peace is. We simply want to talk about grounding these elements."

"Oh," Kansui sounded rather disappointed. Personally I was worrying about the supposedly dangerous power that ran through Kansui's body. "Well, I only eat vegan foods, and definitely nothing spicy. But I'll be here. How's next Friday?" Summer and Spring looked to one another and shrugged. "Splendid," Kansui said, smacking his lips. "Now, Brother dear, would you please show me to the kitchen? I must have words with the chef."

Evelen audibly groaned as Bitoru obliged, leading Kansui away.

Spring and Summer were both taken away a moment later by a woman holding a long list of activities that they were required to do during the day. They excused themselves politely and then were gone, leaving us with the open invitation to the dinner.

"Are you going to go?" Dracomon asked Evelen as we led ourselves back toward the door. Kansui could find his own way back if he was going to act as such a high maintenance princess.

Evelen did not respond to Dracomon right away, and instead stopped in front of a large window and stared thoughtfully out to the colourful world. A smile formed on her face and she finally nodded. "I think I will," she decided. "I'll have to take the day off work."

"I still don't understand why I'm not allowed to visit you at work," Dracomon whined.

Evelen caught my eye and smirked, patting him on the top of the head before walking off with her heels clicking against the marble hall. She walked nearly as well as Mari did in heels, and it was impressive. I knew how much trouble Rei still had when she walked in them.

Dracomon and Evelen began chasing each other through the halls and both of them were laughing loudly. I had no intention to join them, as running, playing and laughing were three of my least favourite activities, but it was nice to watch and to hear the laughter coming from Evelen after such a long mourning period.

When they ran too far ahead I decided to stop and step onto the balcony that was nearby. I had caught sight of something flying near the clouds and when I looked closer I found that it was a large bird. It was nothing particularly fascinating, but it was peaceful, flying through the sky alone, and even I—a bitter old hag, as Hideto would call me—could find enjoyment in the calm atmosphere we had been fighting for.

I stared for only a few more moments before I heard the laughter and footsteps return. I did not bother to look back to them as they ran back and forth. It seemed that forever had passed as I simply stared down to the kingdom, and then there were laboured breaths behind me.

I turned sharply to see Evelen, holding the doorframe and hanging out sideways with her hair hanging down to the side. "Oh," I said, "Evelen, what a surprise. Are you finished running around like a child?"

"Are you finished being a bitter stick in mud?" Evelen retorted, screwing her face up quickly.

I rolled my eyes, putting my hands in my jacket pockets. "Now, I'm not sure why everyone always calls me that. Am I bitter? Of course I am. A stick? Sure, I can't see why not. But I assure you that it would not matter what form I came in, you would never find me in the mud."

Evelen's annoyed expression turned into a smile and she shook her head, finally stepping out to the balcony with Dracomon bouncing around behind her. "It is an expression, you aggravated lobster."

I smiled, turning back to the kingdom. "You could have gone with Crabby Crab. Alliteration is charming."

"Oh and I'm going to take advice from you?" Evelen asked, joining me at the edge of the balcony. "Because you're so charming, yourself?" I nodded, because I could be charming. "No, you're not Prince Charming. You're... Grumpy the dwarf." Dracomon and Evelen chorused with laughter, but I just ignored them, keeping my emotions balanced and steady to avoid my cheeks flushing pink. "Hey, Neo," Evelen said in the tail end of her laughter. "Gankoomon and Hackmon want to join your knights."

"Oh well that simply won't do," I told her quickly. She looked hurt for a moment, so I added, "if I spend more time with them, then I'll have to spend more time with _you_ and we can't have that."

"Oh shut up," she said, pushing my shoulder sharply. I felt the bottom of my stomach drop as I toppled toward the railing of the balcony, staggering backward. Evelen's face contorting to one of only fear was the last thing I saw and her scream filled my ears as she grabbed my hand. My vision nearly blackened, but Evelen had caught me in time and pulled me sharply back toward her and she fell back, landing in a seated position with me on my knees in front of her. She stared to me with wide eyes but then started laughing as if she hadn't nearly killed me accidentally.

"You're very annoying you know," I told her, wiping some dirt from the sleeve of my jacket.

"Yes," Evelen nodded, "but you..." She cleared her throat and spoke in a low voice, "have romantic feelings for me."

"Is that supposed to be an impression of me?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"You're right it was terrible," Evelen smirked. "Let me try again." She straightened her back and threw her hand out dramatically. "Yes _quite_ —how preposterous. You're inane personality is giving me a headache. Has anyone ever told you that you smell like a lethargic dog who has been caught in the rain? Jeeves, fetch me my _jumper_." She rolled her eyes with each impression and though I tried, even I could not stop myself from laughing. But as I did, I found that Evelen's face had fallen quite serious. "N-Neo?" she said, patting Dracomon's head once more. "I want to thank you. For... uhm. Yeah, for helping me with my mom—"

"I've said it before," I told her, "keeping secrets was making us both upset. I think the two of us opening ourselves up for assistance from one another was for the best." I fell back, leaning against the stone posts that made up the—mostly unhelpful—railing of the balcony. "Secrets are exactly the opposite of my Crest, and we were both immature to think that we would not eventually learn more about one another."

"You're right," Evelen said, blushing. "I guess we shouldn't keep any more secrets from each other then." She accompanied her words with a sigh. Dracomon took a step back with a face of disgust. "I do have one more secret though," she said, leaning forward. Her hands were on the railing above my head and she was kneeling in front of me with her hair hanging down between the two of us. Evelen seemed to relish in the blush rising in my cheeks, despite how uncomfortable I was with the idea. I was not, however, uncomfortable with what she said next. "I have romantic feelings for you too." She leaned forward and planted a kiss on my mouth. I kissed her back, but it was short—too short.

Dracomon gasped, and I turned to him, expecting him to simply be upset by our relationship, but he and Evelen were both focused on something entirely different. There were two sparkling black wings extended from Evelen's back, made of only swirling black dust. Evelen turned to me, her eyes wide.

"I think Spring knows how to make them go away," I offered.

"Oh thank god," Evelen said sharply, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet. "I really don't need wings." I smiled to her, but it didn't matter to me whether or not she had wings. She was beautiful either way, and we were finally on a fast track to a place where I would eventually be able to _tell_ her that that's what she was. Beautiful.

 ** _Hikari Yagami:_**

And there he was. My long awaited finale to such a drawn out love story.

I was still trying to wrap my head around it all. After everything we had been through, after all the ups and downs and trials and tribulations, we were really standing here today.

Sure, it wasn't the first time we had found ourselves in this situation, but everything was in place this time, like it hadn't been the previous attempt. Patamon and Gatomon were both standing down at the end of the aisle and Taichi was next to me, his arm linked with mine. There was no lingering thought in the back of my mind that we had to wait or try again some other time. There were no doubts about Gaia and her evils roaming about the other lands, and best of all, Astamon was surely not about to break through the church doors to put an end to our ceremony.

Instead of fear and anguish and anxiety, my only feelings were linked through the entirely _positive_ connection that was made as I stared into the blue eyes of the blonde haired man at the end of the aisle.

He was _my_ happy ever after. I did not feel ashamed that I needed him to be there for me, because that honestly was not the case. I did not _need_ Takeru in my life. But I _wanted_ him, and I was _sure_ that was what true love was. I was not depending on him, or leaning on him for support, but I still wanted him to marry me and to stay with me forever, because I _loved_ him and I wanted to spend every day of the rest of my life with him.

I didn't even know what the others thought about our marriage, but they had certainly had enough time to get over it if they were unsupportive. It had been eleven months since our previous ceremony that had been rudely interrupted, and even longer since Takeru's proposal. I didn't _care_ if they didn't want me to marry him though. I wanted to marry him and that was enough for me.

I was playing things safe in this union. I was twenty-seven years old, Takeru was a _good_ man, we were running through a highly overused ceremony, and we took all the logical and organized precautions in terms of money. I was taking a stroll along the safest part of my comfort zone, because Takeru helped me feel safe. That was all I wanted in this world, was a safe and stable comfort zone. After my sicknesses, and the constant fear of imminent death as we ran through the worlds to try to save the lives of _everyone_ , all I could ask for was a safe and calm ending to such an upbeat life.

Now, I did not associate this marriage as an ending to my life, but rather a start of something entirely new, and I could not have been more excited than I was in this moment. Nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of joy and love that was bursting at the seams inside me. Not even our first wedding attempt could have come close to warning me that these feelings inside were astounding in their beauty and warmth. I wanted to remember every moment of this for the rest of my life because there could be nothing better.

There really couldn't.

Taichi was by my side, squeezing my arm gently, Takeru was standing tall, grinning like a fool at the end of the aisle and I couldn't stop myself from grinning back, Gatomon and Patamon—who had taken shape as Angemon and Angewomon—were both smiling gracefully on either side of the Officiant and all of my friends and family—and everyone else for that matter—were sitting around us, watching me walk down toward where my new life would begin.

I caught sight of Willis from the corner of my eye and he was sitting with Kiyoko. I flashed him a smile, pleased that he could make it this time. Mom and Dad were sitting at the front, both of them snapping pictures like a crazy person. I stuck my tongue out at them and Mom simply laughed as Kamemon and Dorumon climbed over top of the seats to get a better look.

We had made a few changes to our wedding parties, and now my maid of honour was Kurayami, followed by Sora, Natsuni, Mimi and Miyako, while Takeru matched them with Daisuke, Yamato, Iori, Jou and Ken. Koushiro had been promoted to the Officiant so we could include more of our friends. Our friends were so important to us, and we had made so many over the years, and they were _all_ here.

The fight club, several RISE members, the original Digidestined, our families, the Gekomon and Numemon, Katsue and Amai and the Teenage Wolves, Iruka, Tadao Akiyama, Gennai's agents, the Council, the Olympians had even come (at Junomon's insistence) and so many more were here as well. It was a beautiful sea of diversity all around us and it didn't matter who anyone was or where they had come from or what their story was because we were all here _now_. I didn't even associate any of this as a celebration for me or Takeru or our love. It was simply a confirmation at how far the world had gone, and how much we had accomplished in such a short amount of time.

It just so happened that they _were_ here to witness the love Takeru and I shared, and that was simply a bonus. I wasn't worried what they may say or what judgements they would make, because no matter what they were, I knew they would walk away knowing that Takeru and I loved each other. That was all that mattered to me, and it was so obvious and so clear, that it was simply improbable for them to miss the point.

I certainly couldn't. The joyous feeling was still coursing through my body and the way Takeru was looking at me reflected his own inner feelings as well. I could not wait for the ceremony to really begin.

Taichi and I finally made our way to the end of the aisle and he released me, but my arm wouldn't move. I saw on his face a hint of sadness, and I knew what he was thinking. Instead of leaving, I grabbed him and pulled him toward me to hug him. "I'll always need you, Taichi."

He laughed quietly in my ear, hugging me back. "Go, Hikari. He's waiting."

I smiled and turned toward Takeru, who was reaching his hand out to me. I took it as gracefully as I could, but decided to drop the act. I had fallen six times on my way from the dressing room, and I was not a particularly elegant person. This dress was impossible to move in and I would never understand how Mari ran in heels. I didn't need to compose myself as a princess, I just needed to be _me_... and I really did think that would be enough.

Takeru and I were holding both of our hands together as Koushiro began his speeches about love and balance. I knew he was going off book for a lot of what he said, but it didn't bother me. I was lost in Takeru's eyes which had always seemed to open up into an endless sea of courage and hope and wisdom. There was never enough time to explore, but right now, I was required to do nothing aside from stare directly toward him and allow the warmth of the room to embrace me.

"...And there are few examples of balance that are greater than Light and Hope," Koushiro was saying. "For one could not survive without the other. Azulongmon of the East told us this nearly sixteen years ago, and I do not believe we truly understood the meanings of his words until much later when Takeru and Hikari shone and showed us the way. Both of them have truly helped us all in a way that no one else could have, and I do believe that was their destiny. Just as this today is part of their destiny." Takeru rolled his eyes but I could tell he was loving how corny and emotional Koushiro was getting. "And now I believe that Takeru and Hikari have some vows to share with one another."

"And the rest of you," Takeru said under his breath as he prepared himself. I could tell he was nervous—and it was probably because of his bossy relative that had been screaming and ranting about things since she arrived a week ago—so I squeezed his hands gently and he relaxed his shoulders and smiled. "Well it's pretty obvious that I'm in love with you, Hikari." Yamato laughed, and Takeru turned to shoot him a glare, but he was smiling still as well. "I know this sounds childish, and maybe a bit extreme, but I honestly never thought I would get married. I was never the person that people looked up to, or even wanted to be friends with, but I always tried. And then _you_ came along and, well, you _were_ my friend. Of course, I was seven and how could I know that I loved you at the time? I probably didn't, honestly. But you liked the same kind of chocolate as me, and how much deeper could it really get?" I had been trying to hold back, but I let out a laugh along with everyone else and Takeru seemed to relax further. "When I realized that I loved you, I promised myself I would never stop fighting for you and anything you saw for yourself, and I want to share that promise with you because that fight does not end here. I will _always_ fight by your side. I will never falter and never slip away. I love you, and I always will."

I had to admit that I felt a little nervous now myself, because Takeru had made everyone laugh and I simply wasn't very funny. "So," I said, feeling tears in my eyes. "I never thought I'd get married either." I said, my voice sounding rather broken. "I wasn't sure I would _live_ this long." The Doctors had never really known what was wrong. I did though—now, anyway—it was simply the imbalance of Light and Darkness. That imbalance had been set straight and hopefully my sickness would not return. "But here I am," I said, gesturing around the room. "Here I am with _you_. My best friend. I know we're getting married, and that we're starting a new part of our lives together, but first and foremost you will always be Takeru, my best friend. I remember praying, in every form I could think of, for someone to come to me and simply _be_ my friend. All at once I was surrounded by people and digimon and I loved them all, and I cared for them and my world had been changed forever. But you were always there, standing right in the middle of it all with a spotlight on you falling down from who knows where, and you always knew what to say and what I should do. I love you because you are so _wise_ and creative and hilarious. I love you because you make me feel loved. I love you because I could not have asked for another best friend." I looked over to Angewomon. "You're also my best friend, it's just that I'm marrying this one." Angewomon laughed and thankfully many of the others did as well which took much of the weight off my shoulders. "And I have a confession to make," I said, turning back to Takeru. He cocked his head, interested. "I didn't even like that chocolate. I just wanted you to like me."

There was a pause as laughter filled the room again and Takeru's eyebrows shot up. A grin showed on his face and he looked toward me, "We'll work through that."

"Okay," I said, biting my lip to stop my smile from getting out of control. My face was already hurting from so much _happiness_. It was not an unwelcome feeling, but it was one I was not used to.

And then Koushiro announced that we were to exchange rings and everything truly started to sink in. As Takeru placed a ring on my finger everything changed. We were now _married_. No, my entire life would not alter, and no, people would not treat me differently, but Takeru was not my boyfriend or my fiancé anymore. This was really happening. Takeru was about to become my _husband_. And then that painful smile was on my face again and I wondered if this was how Takeru always felt.

The rest of the wedding went smoothly, which I was a little skeptical of because we had never had a smooth wedding before, but in the end we all found ourselves walking from the church together. I was pulled away from Takeru to change, which was fine, because I did not want to run around in a big dress like this ever again.

We reunited at the reception hall, and I was the last to arrive, with Kurayami and Natsuni and all of our partners of course. Natsuni caught sight of Kana and Iori and she was gone to go meet up with them the moment we arrived, but Kurayami stuck by my side all the way to the raised head table where Takeru was sitting, in much less formal clothing.

"You're beautiful," he said to me. I blushed but ignored the compliment. I did not handle praise well. Kurayami patted my shoulder and then wandered off to find her own husband. It was odd to sit on a sort of stage for everyone to see and watch us eat. I made sure to eat as carefully as possible to keep from embarrassing myself, but neither Gatomon or Patamon seemed to have that concern.

Patamon let out a loud belch and the entire room silenced before roaring with laughter. Patamon thankfully did not take offence to the laughter and simply laughed along with everyone while Gatomon rolled her eyes at him. The food had all been Takeru's choice because it had been what he was most worried about, and I had not yet tasted anything, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it all. It was a bit strange that there was an entire selection of vegetarian food for Amai and the plant digimon, but the food wouldn't go to waste, as several others chose to eat from both food selections and it all came together in the end. I should have given Takeru more credit.

During the meal Natsuko and Mom pulled their chairs up to our podium to sit and talk with us for a while and both of them were endlessly praising the two of us and it was nearly unbearable. I barely believed anything they were saying. I was sure it was the wedding atmosphere that made them think these things, but I was so happy that they were both so on board with our wedding.

It was when Dad came up to join us that I really found myself nervous. He had never expressed any dislike for Takeru, but that was when he was my boyfriend. He was now my husband. But even Dad simply seemed joyous. I was starting to believe that there was a barrier around us all that was blocking other emotions from all of our guests. Dad was squeezing Takeru's shoulders sharply, but was grinning out to the crowd and Takeru looked to me like he might _die_ soon if Dad didn't release him, so I swatted his hands away. "Oh, sorry," he laughed, patting Takeru on the back.

Hiroaki Ishida and Yamato were talking to one another, and were slowly making their way toward us, and eventually they _did_ , and just like our mothers, Hiroaki had only praise, though his words came out in an embarrassed tone as he spoke. "You were very pretty Hikari," he told me. I thanked him as politely as I could and he turned to Takeru. "So you're the only married man of our family. How does that feel?"

Takeru's eyebrows once more flew upward as if he hadn't realized that yet. "Hmm," he said. "It feels pretty lonely. You should get married." He looked to Mom and gasped jokingly. "What? Who said that? It couldn't have been me." Hiroaki and Natsuko both blushed and stood abruptly. Takeru grinned, watching them go and they both walked off together to avoid any more marriage talk. But I mean, what did they expect? We were at a wedding after all.

"You should start playing music," Yamato said as if he didn't really care but it was obvious that he did. "Most people are done eating and I want music."

"Then go play music," Takeru shrugged. "Just to be clear, that was not an invitation for your band to start playing, but rather for you to tell our hired DJ to start playing the music."

"I know," Yamato said, shoving Takeru gently before getting to his feet. He stopped and turned back momentarily. "Congratulations," he said, then looked over to me, "both of you." He smiled and then he was off again.

We watched Yamato walking off for a while, and then we both turned to look around to the crowd. It was so amazing to see all of our friends working with one another in such a big space. I honestly believed that our wedding could not have gone better if we had tried. There was simply so much _joy_ and I could not get over that. I watched Amai and several digimon playing a game with a tennis ball, and I watched the Teenage Wolves flirt with their girlfriends Cho, Eri and Kazue, while _Katsue_ seemed to be lecturing a group of Gekomon about proper table etiquette which had Jun and Shuu Kido laughing because they knew it was a lost cause. Meramon and Jagamon were speaking with the council and Haruhiko Takenouchi, while his wife and daughter watched him struggle to keep up with Tinkermon's crazy conspiracy theories. Mimi had her head resting on Koushiro's shoulder as Tentomon and Gomamon conversed nearby. Veemon and Biyomon were both running through the crowds taking pictures with the cameras we had provided. Agumon and Palmon were sitting in a corner by themselves, talking about whatever they felt was necessary while Gabumon and Melga listened intently to Warg's jokes. Hideto and Kiyoko stood behind the food table throwing bits of bread at Neo who knew very well that it was them and had already threatened to break out Examon, which Dracomon would be more than happy to oblige with. Mari and Willis watched as Terriermon, Lopmon and Lalamon played with the Numemon, and Monodramon, Kudamon and Betamon were keeping a close watch on baby Louisa and baby Clio who were both able to crawl now and somehow found themselves in a desperate need for adventure.

Masami nearly stepped on Clio's hand as he took a step back but Yoshie shouted out to him and pulled him back, saving the day as Kudamon rushed over to her side to guide her back to a clearer and safer place to crawl. Daisuke and Kura were sitting with Michael and Jenna while Tatum talked with Natsuni, Rei and Momoe. Labramon and Wormmon were playing with Unimon while Hawkmon and Mai watched from the sidelines. Haruki was nearly three years old, and apparently old enough to go unwatched for a few moments, and he had run off to join Lunamon and Coronamon in a spinning game while the rest of the Olympos members watched, some amused and some embarrassed. Chiziru, Masa, Dansei, Mantarou, Iruka, Gotsumon and Pumpkinmon were still sitting with the Inoue parents at the table we had assigned for them all and there appeared to be a card game being played, and Mushroomon, Dorumon and Kamemon all wanted in on the game. Kotemon and Wizardmon were making their rounds, speaking to all who wanted to converse, but it was clear that Wizardmon wanted to reunite with Gatomon. Kae and Kazuya Ichijouji were laughing along with Daisuke's parents, but whatever they were saying didn't seem to amuse Isao very much, while his wife Aimi simply found _everything_ to be funny so she too was laughing along. The fight club was testing Shin on his knowledge of something, and Puraido was eavesdropping, but was caught by Gomamon and Tentomon who had been searching for him. Aneko and her three partners were sitting at a table next to Kurayami and every now and then she would lean over to add some thoughts to their conversation. Meiyomon and all of his siblings had taken human forms for the wedding, which we had not expected but it was kind nonetheless. It helped the others fit more easily, and they were sitting with Fumiko and her new boyfriend Okotte.

And of course Taichi was there as well. He flashed a smile toward me when I caught his eye and he held his drink to the air just as the music began playing softly. Taichi looked back to Yamato and the DJ and the crowd fell silent as Yamato spoke into the microphone. "Takeru asked me not to write him a song," there were a few laughs, the loudest of which was Rei who remembered the—beautiful—song Yamato had written for their wedding. "Instead I composed a better playlist than the one he handpicked, and so this is it." Takeru rolled his eyes, but he had been up late several nights stressing over the music, trying to pick some that everyone would like. Now, if the music was bad, it would be Yamato's fault. "But of course I kept the first track the same, because it's your couple song or something. So here it is."

Takeru elbowed me playfully and took my hand. "I guess this is our first dance," he said. "We don't really have a choice in the matter."

"I don't mind," I decided as he led me to the open dance floor. The song began to play and Takeru awkwardly held me, unsure of how to dance properly. "Don't worry," I assured him. "I can't dance either." He grinned, feeling at ease as he lifted my arm above my head to spin me again and again. It was off time, and it was uncoordinated, but it was _fun_ and that was more important to me.

Takeru was laughing as we began to dance in a square shaped motion and eventually, after several dips and spins he extended me out further and I nearly crashed right into Sora. "Hey," I said as she caught me. "Want to dance?"

Sora looked bemused, and checked Takeru to see him pulling Rei to her feet. Of course he would dance with her—it was only fair. She didn't have the chance to dance at her own wedding, and we had chosen this destination specifically for _her_. "Sure," Sora finally said. "Why not?" I grinned and pulled her to the dance floor.

There was more uncoordinated dancing, but was less jarring because several other couples joined us. Among these couples was Amai and her dancing was beautiful, but highly unorthodox. Emiko was surprisingly talented at dancing, and although she had no partner, she was most definitely showing everyone up with her skills.

"So," I said to Sora as she spun me once. "You and Yamato, huh?"

"Yeah," Sora sighed. "I didn't want to share the news until after your wedding. I'm sorry it slipped out."

"Well Mimi has a big mouth," I smiled. "And besides, you shouldn't wait to share big news. You're moving in together Sora, that's a really big step." Sora nodded, but still seemed unsure. "Sora, I'm so happy for you. I really am."

She finally broke out into a big grin, only to be interrupted by Taichi who tapped her shoulder. "Hikari, we're going to dinner on Friday, right?"

"Yes, Taichi," I rolled my eyes. "Was that why you broke up our highly anticipated first dance as... Sokari?" Taichi grinned and shook his head. "Oh you want to dance with me?"

"Sora actually," Taichi laughed.

"You're a bully," I said, "stealing my new dance partner." Taichi stuck his tongue out to me, but was already dragging Sora away. When they moved off I saw why. Yamato had taken Rei from Takeru and now the two of us were standing alone in a crowded room full of dancing friends and when he smiled to me I set off toward him and his extended arms.

We were about to reunite when instead, two digimon popped up out of nowhere. Gatomon landed in Takeru's arms and Patamon in my own.

"Let's dance!" Patamon exclaimed. I laughed and nodded along. I had my entire life to dance with Takeru, and that was what mattered. He was right next to me, and this was our family. Not just the four of us—but everyone around us. We had gone through so much together and so that's what they were to me. They were my family, and I knew that today would always be ingrained in my mind as the best day of my life. And when I looked over to Takeru who was laughing at Gatomon and her attempt at break dancing, I knew he felt the same way.

 ** _Mari Goutokuji:_**

"Could you pass the—" I stopped mid sentence because Lalamon had already known what it was I would need and was holding the plastic yellow mustard bottle toward me. "Thank you." I smiled to her and continued making the sandwich in front of me. I wasn't a fan of the condiment myself, but I knew how much Aneko liked it, and so I made sure to put a little extra on, just for her.

I felt like a mess, and I knew I looked like one too, but I wasn't about to rush upstairs to compose myself before helping out. I just wouldn't have time. I had been up late the previous night with Hideto and Kiyoko. It had been emotional, but probably for the better. I had also woken up early because today was the start of a new schedule for us all.

Aneko was going back to school again, and as the adult figure, it was my job to prepare breakfast, and ensure that she got out the door in time to start her day. It was hard sometimes, but Aneko's peaceful look when she was reading, or the smiles she sent my way were enough to convince myself that this was the right thing to do. Aneko deserved love, and I did love her. I definitely was not ready for children of my own though, and wasn't sure that I ever would be.

Fangmon was sitting on the other side of the counter next to Porcupamon who was seated in an actual stool, while HoneyBeemon floated in the air above their heads. All of them loved Aneko too, and that was important because without her partner—or in her case, all three of them—her life would be a lot less interesting. At least, that was the case with me anyway. Lalamon being back in my life was still something I had to accommodate myself with. She had been gone for three years, and then I had her back for only a few months before she had been taken for another thirteen months. But she was here, and it finally seemed that she wasn't going to be taken away from me again. This time was for real—it was final. Lalamon was here to stay.

She was giggling at the suggestions that came from Aneko's trio of partners, because they were all truly absurd.

"What if you put ants on the sandwich?" Porcupamon wanted to know.

"I think Aneko said that she liked licorice! Put that on next!" HoneyBeemon shouted out.

"I think you should get her to forage for her own food, she'll never learn to be self sufficient if you don't," Fangmon said snidely.

Like I had said, they were absurd, but they were part of our family now and we had to treat them with the respect they deserved. Porcupamon had claimed the basement of the library for his toys and had created a rather disgusting room for himself down there. I had him clean it every single day to keep the odor to a minimum, but he didn't seem to understand which things needed to go. Just yesterday he had chosen to throw away a perfectly good doll—well, she was missing an arm—instead of a mouldy orange. I set him straight on that one. Eventually I was sure we would have things set in place once more. Fangmon slept in the dog bed we had gotten him in the corner of Aneko's room, constantly expressing his distaste for her decor, but he secretly loved everything Aneko created. HoneyBeemon slept in Aneko's bed with her most nights, but spent most of his days in Lalamon's garden.

The garden had been destroyed, and before the worlds had closed off, Lalamon and I had gone to visit. We looked through all the mess and I told her the entire story of what had gone on with Evelen and how she had been seeking a way to find her mother. Lalamon understood, and despite how bitter I was, I understood too. When Lalamon was taken away I had to finish the garden alone, but all of the flowers I had planted died quickly. It wasn't until Lalamon came with her magical touch—literally—that the flowers became long lasting. The garden was back to its original state, and even if it was no longer a memorial site to Lalamon, it was still a place we all liked to visit as a family. Many picnics had been had amongst the flowers, and nothing ever felt more peaceful than bringing a book to the quietest place on the Earth.

I had plans in the back of my mind to get over to the garden when the day was finally over, but I wasn't sure how well those plans would pan out. For now I knew that we needed to finish preparing Aneko for school, and then I had to get ready myself.

"What would you like in _your_ lunch?" Lalamon asked, shoving Aneko's pink water bottle toward me. I smiled and placed it into her bag and thought for a moment. "I'll make you a vegetable tray," Lalamon offered.

"I can't take a vegetable tray to work," I snorted. "Maybe put them in a plastic container or something." It was pretty exciting that I was finally going to work at all. It seemed like yesterday when Miyako had helped me select a career path and now here I was, putting it into motion once and for all. This was my life now, and I was going to be helping people just like me. I was going to be helping people find their happy endings, because it was something _everyone_ deserved to experience.

And it was strange, because I knew this wasn't the end of my life, or the end of _anything_ but I knew that I was experiencing a taste of what that might feel like. It was happiness, and it was all around. I knew there was a bitter sweet feeling that affected some of the others who were caught up in the idea that our roles for the worlds were over and we were now nothing more than _people_ , but that had always been the case, even if they hadn't known it. Hikari was right. We were representatives for the Crests, but Sora was not the only person who could feel love, and Taichi was not alone in feeling courage, nor was Koushiro the only intelligent one. The Crests were everywhere, and all we ever had been were the people to speak out. I did not feel the bitter feelings they felt because I no longer wanted to. Not in that way at least. I found a new way to fill my desire to help others and I didn't feel that it was worse, or dramatically less exciting. I didn't care that Lalamon and I were no longer throwing our lives into the most dangerous of battles and screaming emotional speeches about Tenacity anymore. I didn't care that I wasn't awake late into the night fearing that one of my friends had caught wind of a nearby enemy and had snuck off, thinking they could take it on alone. That wouldn't happen anymore. We were all safe, and personally I found 'bittersweet' to be a terrible way to describe the balance and peace we had found for the world.

My mind was wiped away as I stared to the stairs where Aneko was standing with her hands crossed over her chest. I could see the discomfort in her eyes and the way she was kicking the stair she was standing on told me that she could not have been more nervous.

I tore my eyes away from her and noticed that Lalamon had already done the same. There was no sense making her feel even more uncomfortable by staring at her for long. "You look beautiful," I told her without taking my eyes away from the lunch I was busy packing. I heard her scoff as if she didn't believe it for a second.

"You look tired," Fangmon betrayed us all by saying clearly. Aneko was silent as she pulled herself into a seat on the opposite end of the round counter from her partners, too nervous to get too close. "Did you stay up reading again?"

"Maybe," Aneko said, rubbing her eyes with the callused heels of her hands. She brushed her messy hair out of her face and groaned, dropping her head to the smooth surface of the countertop where she slammed her forehead aggressively.

"Oh dear," HoneyBeemon sighed, fluttering over to Aneko, wielding a brush to tame her hair. I sent him a look, wishing him luck because I knew just how unruly Goutokuji hair could be.

"It was a really good book," Aneko said, looking up to her bug friend and taking the brush from him as she began to pull it through her hair without any remorse. "There was a girl in it, and she reminded me of you, Mari. She was so strong." Aneko paused as I smiled to her. "She wasn't scared to go to school."

"Hey," I scolded in the most mocking tone I could compose. "There's no reason to be scared. You're beautiful, intelligent and you're stronger than you realize."

"But I don't have any _friends_!" Aneko groaned loudly, throwing her head back in despair. "How lame is that?"

"If that's lame, then sign me up for the club," I said firmly. "I didn't have any friends until I was twelve years old. Change will only come when you open yourself up for it." Aneko looked to me like I was crazy for trying to give her a motivational statement to live by when she was so stressed. She tugged harder on the brush, pulling it through the tangles in her hair and Lalamon giggled, coming over to help her out. "Besides, we're all your friends, Aneko. You don't have to like your classmates. They're probably idiots anyway."

"They're not _all_ idiots..." Aneko said quietly. "There's this _boy_ —"

"A boy?" Fangmon barked.

"Is he handsome?" Porcupamon asked quickly.

"Ask him to come here so we can judge him thoroughly!" HoneyBeemon declared loudly.

Aneko looked to each of them in turn and simply shook her head, her rosy cheeks were impossible to hide but it was clear that she had tried. Instead she relented, realizing that we all had seen her embarrassment and she let her shoulders fall as Lalamon gently ran the brush through her hair. "Aneko," Lalamon said softly, "you talk to people at your own pace. You need to be comfortable before you can take risks, and until you are, I want you to just move slowly if that makes you happy." She looked to me and I nodded slowly, concealing a smile. Lalamon was always good with advice. Aneko could take chances later if it suited her, but for now she needed to find a way to settle in her new class and new surroundings. "That being said," Lalamon added. "I stopped by the school the other day with Kiyoko and Tapirmon and we picked up a few fliers promoting some after school activities—"

"I can't play sports," Aneko objected immediately, but Lalamon wasn't listening. She floated toward the refrigerator and pulled a pink sheet of paper from the top before fluttering back toward Aneko, handing her the paper. "A... a book club?" Aneko asked nervously. "That's a thing?"

"It sure is," Lalamon beamed happily.

Aneko's nerves melted away immediately and she scooped the brush from the countertop, rushing toward the bookshelves to pick her favourite book. Porcupamon and HoneyBeemon were quick to follow and give her their advice while Fangmon moved at a much slower and less excitable pace.

Lalamon and I looked to each other and I patter her head, rubbing by the stem of her headpiece. "Good job, Lalamon."

"I thought so," Lalamon giggled, shaking my hand away. "Now you need to get ready for work! I'll finish making lunch!"

"You're the best." I didn't get a chance to take Lalamon up on her offer because the door had opened as I slipped from the kitchen area and it seemed we had company. I had a feeling I knew who it was, because anyone else would have knocked. But this was so strange. Could they really be called _company_ if it was just them?

I stepped into the entrance hallway and saw them standing in the doorway, slipping out of their shoes. Warg and Melga were wiping their feet on the welcome mat as Tapirmon finished off a story he was telling. And with them came Hideto and Kiyoko.

 _I heard them coming before they spoke. Their footsteps roared through the silence and I looked up from the book in my hand, glancing around the moonlit garden. Even in the faint light every flower appeared to glow in the most magical way. I spotted Hideto, Kiyoko and their three partners pacing along the path toward where Lalamon and I sat in the hammock we had tied up. "Mari," Hideto said as he advanced toward me. "We need to talk."_

 _The worst part about it all was that I knew it had been coming. It had been almost a year in the making, and it was finally here. They didn't even need to say_ anything _for me to catch on to what they were here to discuss. In a big way, it felt right, even to me, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Kiyoko curled up with Warg and Lalamon on the mosaic stone pathway and Hideto held Tapirmon close to his chest. Melga had crawled up into the hammock with me and we all sat in silence for a while. We all appreciated silence much more than most seemed to._

 _"So I think I'm ready to go," Kiyoko said in a broken sounding voice._

 _I nodded slowly. "I know," I told him quietly, nodding my head and ignoring the tears that were building up there. "I know, Kiyoko."_

 _The silence picked up where it left off but this time our eyes were shifting and falling to the flowers for too long. There was no eye contact until I finally found enough strength to look directly to Hideto, and he was staring right back. A small smile broke out on his face and I couldn't help but smile along._

 _We had all been through so much together. When we had all come together we were broken. We were all scared that we would never feel the way that we did now, like we had a place in the world. Like we had the power to be_ whole _again. But here we were. We were whole, and we were still holding on. After abuse, violation, self hatred, separation, breakups, make-ups, crimes, death, being locked in separate worlds, multiple counts of possession and saving the world, we were still standing. All three of us were here with the missing parts of our heart. Lalamon was a piece that was missing from within me, and I would never forget what Winter did to create her for me, but there had always been another part of me missing._ This _was that part. Hideto, Kiyoko and the others._

 _Alias III._

 _"So this is it," Hideto said in a voice that sounded like it was ready to break down and cry._

 _"Well I can't see why not," Kiyoko said with a warm smile. There was a beat of silence and Kiyoko realized that he had so much to say. "Neo saved my life by inviting me to help him take over the world. Even if it was the worst thing to ever say 'yes' to, I'm so glad Sigma and I actually agreed on something. If I hadn't come to live with the two of you I know I would be dead right now."_

 _"Me too," Hideto said, his voice finally giving in._

 _"I might be," I agreed. "Or maybe married to Marshall, raising horrible children." Melga pressed closer to me, rubbing her face on my shoulder. Lalamon and Warg both turned and hugged Kiyoko and Tapirmon squeezed harder on Hideto's forearm._

 _"But we're not dead," Hideto said with a weak voice. "I still remember meeting you both. I was kind of scared of you."_

 _"Which?" Kiyoko asked._

 _"Both?" Hideto offered and a laugh bubbled up inside me, escaping through my mouth as the others all scolded Hideto for being rude._

 _All eyes rounded on me as I laughed, but soon it faded into silence once more. "So what now?" I asked, defeated._

 _Kiyoko and Hideto looked to one another and then back to me. "We're going to move out of the library," Kiyoko told me. "We're ready to stand on our own. It's scary that things had to get so bad to get us to be strong enough for this."_

 _"But in the end we're all okay," I agreed, wincing at the thought of the pain we had all gone through to get here._

 _"I couldn't have done it without you, Mari," Hideto said, looking directly into my eyes again. "Or all of you. But I'm honestly proud of who I am now."_

 _"I'm proud of you too," Kiyoko told him, reaching out to take his hand. "I'm amazed that I finally have everything I've ever wanted."_

 _"What's that?" I asked, afraid of the answer._

 _Kiyoko shrugged and looked to Tapirmon, winking. "I guess I just wanted to feel safe. I wanted to be strong like you, Mari."_

 _I slipped away from the hammock and fell to my knees, reaching out to him. Melga followed me and joined the hug. Hideto and Tapirmon scooted closer and then we all sat on the ground together in the garden for what seemed like forever. For a while I had successfully convinced myself that the moment would never end, but Kiyoko spoke in the end, breaking that forever with a firm and confident voice. "I guess this is it," he said, pulling away from the hug, dragging Tapirmon along with him._

 _I found that Lalamon was in my arms when I pulled back as well, and when I turned to Hideto I saw that he had both Warg and Melga sitting with him. "But in a lot of ways it makes sense," I agreed with a smile, wiping the tears from my eyes._

 _Hideto looked to the both of us and nodded firmly. "Alias III is officially breaking up," he shrugged. There was a pause as we let the words sink in and then Hideto cleared his throat. "Who's going to tell Neo?"_

Hideto and Kiyoko both waved to me, looking just as tired as I did. We had stayed in that garden for hours talking about what we had all gone through together. Words could never truly express just how much any of them had done for me, but we had all tried to make it count. "Hey," I said, pulling at my hair, realizing I hadn't done a thing with it yet.

"Don't bother," Hideto grinned, stepping forward. "I've seen you a lot worse."

I punched his arm sharply and he laughed. "Are you here for your things?"

"You didn't box them up for us, did you?" Hideto asked hopefully. I shook my head, "Damn," Hideto reached back for Kiyoko's outstretched hand and he took it in his own. "Well, I guess we'd better get to work then."

"Are there any cookies left over?" Kiyoko asked as Hideto dragged him along.

"Help yourself," I offered, letting them go. I realized it would be strange if I followed them, but I really needed to. I hadn't yet gotten ready for my first day of work. As I spun to the door I found myself crashing into another body as Aneko raced for the doorway, a big smile on her face. Her arms were wrapped around me, hugging me tightly. "What are you doing?" I asked, prying her off of me and taking in the lost air that she had knocked from my lungs.

"I'm off to school," she said firmly. "I have to get there early if I'm going to prepare a speech for the book club!" She raced for the door, grabbing her jacket along the way. "Love you!"

"Love you too," I said as the door slammed shut. A smile spread across my face at the thought of her excitement.

I took a quick shower, finding that Porcupamon had once again made a giant mess of the shampoo bottles, but I didn't have time to worry about that. When I was done I smelled like a mix of coconut and oranges and it was rather sickening to behold, but I knew I would have to embrace it nonetheless. I brushed through the curls on my head and dried it as fast and thoroughly as I could before using the hair-straightener to create something that was workable. I threw it into a bun and decided I looked presentable enough after doing my makeup.

I rushed out into the living room, knowing that I was running late and found Hideto and Kiyoko standing by the door, each holding a box as they talked with one another. They had been waiting on me. There was really no need for that.

"Hey, love your dress," Hideto smirked when I came out with a towel wrapped around my body.

"It matches your eyes," Kiyoko noted, but I was sure he was being serious. He looked up and saw my frantic expression and laughed awkwardly. "We were wondering if you wanted to come get some lunch with us later?"

"I can't," I said. "It's my first day at work."

"Right," Hideto said, obviously pretending he had remembered when it was clear he had not. "So that means you're locked in a cage all day, right?" I stared blankly at him. "Call us on your lunch break, Mari. We're getting food together. We may not be Alias III anymore but we seriously need to cut the tension. We're still friends."

"Best friends," Warg corrected.

"All of us," Kiyoko agreed.

"But Lalamon already made me a lunch," I pointed out, looking back to the kitchen where Lalamon was sitting on the counter, watching us all.

"I already put it in the fridge," Lalamon hummed. "They got to me first. We're going to lunch as a family, sorry."

I rolled my eyes and Melga was jumping up and down around my feet. "I'm so excited!" she called out.

"See you later then, okay Mari?" Hideto said, backing up toward the door.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I told him, smiling again as they all walked off. Kiyoko was the last to go, waving to me slowly before finally taking his eyes away from the large picture of us all that had been hung again. He left with the others leaving Lalamon and I alone since Aneko's partners had all slipped into the yard out back.

Watching them go sent my mind back to eleven years ago when it had all truly begun.

 _"Neo, where are you going?" I snapped as he slipped back out the way we had come. I rolled my eyes when he ignored me and found that Sigma was glaring at me with the most terrifying look in his eyes. "What do you want?" I asked sharply. He did not reply so I groaned, heading for the stairs to make my way up to our new 'home'._

 _I still wasn't sure I wanted to stay here, but being part of their team seemed intriguing at the very least. And it_ had _been so long since I'd had a friend. Willis wouldn't want to talk to me anymore, I knew that for sure._

 _"Get out of my way!" Sigma snarled, shoving me toward the railing where I nearly toppled down to the floor below._

 _"Watch it, you psychopath!" I shouted, shoving him right back, watching as he slammed into the brick wall that made up the stairwell. Sigma looked to me with his flared nostrils and it seemed for a moment that he was perfectly willing to kill me right there. Of course he would have, but I didn't know that at the time. I ignored him and walked straight upward, throwing open the first door on the landing we had reached. I entered the dingy hallway and stormed down to apartment number '3' and slammed my fist into it._

 _I heard Sigma muttering something that sounded entirely made up, but when I looked to him his mouth was unmoving and then finally the door was pulled open. That horribly flirtatious boy that Neo had introduced me to at the library was standing on the other side of the door in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes and glaring at us. "Of course he would send you early. What a jerk."_

 _"Are you going to let us in?" Sigma practically barked._

 _"Okay, maybe the reason you were homeless was because no one liked you," I said sharply. There was a horribly wounded look in his eyes and for that moment I realized that there_ was _a soul behind this angry front. And then Hideto stepped out of the way, watching as Sigma looked around the kitchen._

 _"Where is the sleeping chamber?" Sigma asked snidely._

 _Hideto and I shared a look of confusion and amusement and then Hideto shrugged, pointing up the stairs. "My room is up there, but I've torn apart my living room at Neo's insistence. You two will share that room."_

 _I looked to him like he was his own special brand of crazy if he expected me to share a room with Sigma, but Sigma for once was on the same page as I was. "I'll be taking the bedroom. You will take the shared room, and will not complain about it."_

 _Sigma was already off, walking straight up the stairs before Hideto had even registered what had been said. "Not a chance—" He whirled around the bend and looked up to Sigma only to let out a small shriek as a shoe was thrown toward his head. "Ow—what the hell?"_

 _He ducked away and knocked into me. I caught him and he looked up, wiggling his eyebrows like a fool. "Stop trying, it's never going to happen." He actually brought out a ridiculous smoulder, thinking it might help and I shook my head. "You're just embarrassing yourself." He sighed. "Let's just figure out how to get Lalamon back, okay?"_

 _Hideto looked to me, surprised that I'd already opened up to him about what I wanted, but I was not ashamed of loving her. I needed her back already and whoever these 'Digidestined' were had caused her to be taken from me. I would do whatever it took to get them back._

 _Sigma interrupted us by staggering into the kitchen looking lost. "Here's your shoe back, freak." Hideto said, thrusting the dirty and ripped sneaker back to the younger boy. He brushed his matted hair aside and took the shoe, blushing. "What happened to you taking my room?"_

 _"I think that's still happening," Sigma said in a small voice. "I guess we just needed some time apart to really plan the traps and triggers." Once again Hideto and I looked to one another because I was sure I could compose a full report about what was screwed up about that sentence. For starters, who was 'we'? There was a pause and Sigma looked to us both. "So we're a team now?" Hideto and I both nodded. "We'll need a name."_

 _"Ah, Neo has given us that," Hideto said, pulling a piece of paper from the cluttered table that had only three legs—propped up by some perfectly good books on the fourth corner. "Alias III." Hideto said, and it came out of his mouth with such finality. That's what we were. That was_ who _we were._

 _Then, a moment of realization later, I said, "We don't have aliases though."_

 _"Oh, yeah," Hideto said, pointing to the paper. "Mission number one," he read out, "create aliases."_

But that time was so long ago. It was gone now, but that was okay. We were all stronger now because of what we had lived through and I would never forget a moment of our time as a team.

I was in my room a few moments later, pulling a dress on at random, and then searching for shoes to match. I didn't have time to be too picky.

When I stood in front of the mirror where Lalamon was sitting I saw something stirring in my bed. For a moment my mind went to a dark and nervous place, but I remembered all at once who it was.

He sat up abruptly, yawning and stretching like a child before he looked around the room with his clouded, tired vision. He had waited up for me last night. He knew what we'd done and gone through. He knew everything now. He'd been here for long enough to get to know every secret I held close to myself, and I knew everything about him too.

"You're not gone yet," Willis said, sounding thankful. "I thought I missed you." I shook my head, smiling at the adorable way he groggily pulled Lopmon into his arms.

"Ew, put a shirt on you stinky boy!" Lopmon cried out, falling back and knocking into her brother, causing them both to fall from the comically large bed. Willis whined as they fell away from him but he didn't listen to her advice, and instead just rolled out of the bed.

"You slept in your underwear!" Terriermon cried out in surprise. "That's so rude. This is Mari's bed, you know? You have to be respectful. From now on you need to come to our room and run through a checklist for bed."

"Did you even brush your teeth?" Lopmon asked.

"No, probably not," Terriermon said, rolling his eyes.

"We have so much work to do with him still," Lopmon said, smacking her lips together. Terriermon agreed, and while I didn't want to point out how strange it was, I was sure this was the first time I'd seen them on the same page. Probably ever.

Willis had ignored both of his partners and wrapped his arms around me from behind, kissing my cheek. "I wanted to wish you luck."

"You did that last night," I reminded him, looking to his face in the mirror.

"I know," he admitted. "But I haven't said it today."

"I'm glad you did," I said, taking his hand gently in my own. It was hard to believe that we had finally gotten over the hurdles between us and were living together. It was harder to believe that it had been sixteen years since he had kissed me that first time in his childhood bedroom, right after confessing his love for another girl. But here we now were, and I didn't even find myself to be ashamed that he was part of my happy ending.

I would be foolish to push this off any longer. Sure, my happiness didn't rely on a man, but it once had. Two of them. Hideto and Kiyoko. I had always been fighting against the one thing I always wanted. But I was stronger now, and I could stand on my own. But that didn't mean Willis wasn't allowed to be a big part of my life.

"I love you," I told him, kissing the hand that was resting on my shoulder now.

"I love you too," he whispered into my ear. "Now you should really go to work."

"You're totally going to be late," Lalamon pointed out with a nervous tone under her voice.

"Me?" I asked. "You're coming too." Lalamon hummed her excitement and flew straight into my arms. I turned to Willis and kissed him once, backing away from him. "See you tonight." He nodded and shooed me away.

I was leaving the library for the day, but I would be back. Sure, Hideto and Kiyoko weren't there anymore, but my life had not stalled because of their leaving. I had simply moved onto the next step. And I knew there were more steps to come, but I was sure now more than ever that those steps had the potential to be perfectly peaceful and filled with happiness as long as I worked hard for them to be.

I could make my own destiny. And I was _so_ pleased with the destiny I had created for myself.

 ** _Mimi Izumi:_**

"You don't think that might be a little bit too...personal?" Izumi asked, peeking over my shoulder at the picture I was hanging on the wall. The solid, wooden frame really downplayed the image itself, but it didn't do much to dull the personal quality of the thing.

"I know it is," I sighed. "But we saved everyone's butts, so they can all look at our happiness. I don't even care if it's unprofessional. And you know what, I don't understand why it _is_ unprofessional. It's just a picture, of the owner and her husband and their partners on their re-wedding day."

"Re-wedding?" Izumi asked dryly.

"Well, we're too young to be renewing our vows," I said defensively. "That's for old people. But we were already married, so we just got re-married. I don't care if it doesn't make sense. It was the most perfect day in my entire existence."

I sighed contentedly as I looked to the picture. Tentomon had a black bowtie around his neck, and was trying to escape Palmon's hold. She was holding him tightly, with her arms wrapped around him, and a basket of rose petals in one hand. She had a frilly white dress—her choice—and bare feet (roots?). She looked beautiful. Her flower really tied the whole look together, especially since the rose petals were chosen with a similar colour scheme.

She had a ball that day, so excited to be our flower girl. And I'd had the best time having her there. Whatever doubts I'd had on my first wedding day were gone, because I knew she was there. She was happy, and I was on cloud nine.

Koushiro hadn't stopped loving me after all, and I could laugh about our ridiculous tendency to evade conflict—not just _avoid_ , we actively evaded it.

"You look happy," Izumi said. "I'll give you that."

"I do, don't I?" I said, smiling at the picture. Just like Palmon, I was being a little clingy, and was smiling the brightest smile I could. Koushiro had one arm around me, while I clung to his middle. I was wearing a simple white sundress, and he was wearing a blazer and slacks. We weren't the fanciest looking bride and groom, but we'd already done that route once—because I'd demanded it. And since Koushiro had been thoughtful enough to want to include Palmon, I figured the second time around we could do things his way.

It was a _lot_ less stressful.

People were actually willing to mention my second wedding. No one would even _think_ of the first, as if it were cursed or something—because it was so horrible. Everything was finally looking up for me. The skies were bright and clear, not a storm cloud in sight, and I couldn't be happier for it.

"You could hang pictures up too," I told Izumi, casually. "I've got more frames, so they'd match. I don't want you to think that I'm overbearing. I'm still signing the cheques, but it's _your_ restaurant to run. I shouldn't be influencing too much."

"I could _probably_ dig out mine and Takuya's wedding picture, if you really wanted me to," she said. "But I'll warn you and say that it's not a pretty sight. We didn't hire a real photographer, and it shows."

"You've got the baby though," I reminded her, feeling a large bubble of happiness welling up inside of me just thinking about it. Without Yakiimon and Hyokomon around all the time, the two of them had actually gotten lonely. Their partners were busy being the legitimate guardians of the Digital World—instead of the _fake_ guardians we had to kill a few years back.

"He _is_ a cutie pie," Izumi said with a laugh. "I'll have to get a family picture done. Does Hikari still take photographs? We'll have to see if she can figure out how to get Ebonwumon and Zhuqiaomon in the shot with us too. They're _huge_ now. It's crazy."

"But they're happy, right?" I asked, with a smile.

"Not a hint of mischief in the pair of them," Izumi said acting disappointed. "I guess they're really just around to keep the peace. No more adventures for you."

"Thank goodness," I said laughing. "I'm past done watching Palmon fight for our lives, while struggling to do anything that could help in any way possible. It's so stressful. Stress can give you wrinkles you know. I'm going to be old before my time, and Gennai won't be around for me to tell him just what I think of that."

"Hey, I'm older than you are," Izumi said, "and I still look fabulous."

"For a new mom especially," I said with a wink.

"Well, not having to give birth really helped with that," Izumi said, rolling her eyes, but smiling all the same, the way she did every time I brought up her and Takuya's bundle of purple feathers. They'd adopted Penguinmon, who had been having an incredibly difficult few years, after being abused and abandoned by his partner, and losing D'Arcmon soon afterwards. But he was happy now, with loving parents that would treat him with the kindness he deserved and needed.

Veggiemon and Kunemon had found new partners, while Crabmon wanted to go back to his old partner—who _had_ been manipulated by Gaia, but was being watched closely, because we couldn't allow anything to happen to Crabmon again. It was a hard path, because we couldn't even pretend to know what the right thing to do was, for Crabmon's sake. I agonized over the decision for days, before realizing that it was Crabmon's choice.

It was easy to think of Rookies as children, because of their size, but they were strong, capable thinkers, and each of them could protect themselves if need be. Miyako and Neo had made sure there were enough laws that could protect them as well. We still needed to be vigilant, but so far, things were working out okay, and I was happy about it, because Crabmon was ecstatic.

"How's the new house treating you?" I wondered aloud.

"Good," Izumi said firmly. "It's great. And it went up _quick_. I don't know why I was thinking it would take months. This is the Digital World, everything happens quickly here."

"Kiyoko can get a house up in an afternoon so long as he knows what he's building," I said smiling. "He can do a restaurant in that time anyway."

"I like the way he set the houses up," Izumi said. "The inside of the house is great, and it's exactly what I wanted, but the fact that he made a little cobblestone street, and put everyone else's houses on the same street was adorable. And we've got a white picket fence. The backyard is killer too. We're going to have a great vegetable garden this summer. Penguinmon's so excited about planting them. He misses the garden in the Coliseum, and I promised him I'd give it a go."

"I'm sure Lalamon would be more than willing to help, if you need her," I said.

"I'll keep that in mind," Izumi said sheepishly. "I don't exactly have a green thumb."

"But think of all the amazing food you'll get to cook with," I reminded her, longingly. I didn't have enough room for a proper garden myself. I also wasn't good with remembering to take care of things. Jezebel and Oswald were primarily taken care of by Palmon, Tentomon and Koushiro.

Well, Oswald wasn't anymore. Octopi didn't have particularly long lifespan, but I was sure he'd had a good life. At least he wasn't turned into salad—that _had_ to be a bonus. I really missed him though.

"I know," Izumi said dreamily. "I can't wait."

"I bet Junpei and the others will be over for dinner a lot," I teased.

"I'd like to hope that they'd come to the restaurant and support this fine establishment," she said, waving her arm dramatically, to showcase the empty space.

Koushiro and I had discussed it at length—me being the dreamer and him the level-headed mind that worked out how to make those dreams a reality—and decided that it was time to open a second restaurant. I thought a long time about where to put it, and it was Tentomon actually, that suggested putting it in the Digital World.

Now, _Mimi's_ was open for business—or it would be as soon as we finished getting it set up—on the outer Temple district. It was kind of official now, that there was another district. It wasn't particularly large yet, but I knew it would keep expanding. The tea shop had been destroyed when the Temple fell, and instead of building it up directly outside of the Temple walls, like it had been before, Kiyoko had migrated it towards the new town he was building. Unlike the larger towns Taichi had him working on for the entire world, he was building this one slowly, piecing it together like a puzzle, with one piece at a time. There was Yoshie and Tapirmon's tea shop, of course, next to Kiyoko's office that he built for his architecture work. He'd gotten a few requests already, but most of them were from Taichi.

There was a small park, meant for children and small digimon to play without getting into trouble. There were swings, and teeter-totters, and a big slide, and a sandbox. There was even a set of monkey-bars and a jungle gym. It was quite exciting. And right across the street from the park, was _Mimi's_. It looked beautiful, and it was custom made, because Kiyoko was able to take requests in the Digital World, and we didn't have to work with a pre-existing building like we had to on Earth.

One of Daisuke's noodle-carts was on the streets, run by one of the Veemon from Witchenly, and a Frigimon had decided to start up an ice cream parlour next to the park—which was genius marketing, I _must_ say—and Tinkermon got one of her spas put in, too, because they were her pride and joy—despite the fact that she technically lived in a different world now, since Neverland was restored and separate.

Izumi's street was a ten minute walk from the restaurant, and wasn't just home to the Original Digidestined. Kiyoko had built the street to incorporate Jou's house, which meant that Emiko and Monmon were only ten minutes from the park—and they took advantage of it daily. I could see them through the front window, swinging on the monkey bars, with Bearmon keeping a close watch on them as he sat on one of the benches, holding a camera in his large paws, waiting for the _perfect_ picture.

He'd gotten really into photography, and had some really great conversations with Hikari about it. I looked to Izumi and pointed out the window. "Maybe you could get Bearmon to take the pictures," I suggested. She laughed, but looked thoughtful, before nodding.

Jou's house was across the street from Izumi's, so she'd be able to ask at any time. Junpei's house was next to Jou's, with Kouji's and then Kouichi's beside Junpei's. Tomoki's was next to Izumi's, and Kiyoko had build a house of his own next to that one. Kiyoko and Hideto could've had a mansion without any trouble, but they chose to go for a more modest home—though they made sure to have plenty of bedrooms, because they had the three digimon that each wanted their own, and they also wanted to leave space in case Mari and Lalamon ever wanted to stay over.

So it was a kind of modest home, but it had six bedrooms—but two were in the furnished basement, and weren't very big. Neither Warg nor Tapirmon knew what to do with too much space, so they took the smaller rooms. Melga painted everything pink in her room—a girl after my own heart—and got frilly curtains, and a canopy bed. She was their little princess. Tapirmon kept everything light, and airy, while Warg went for the darker colours, with flame designs on his bedding, lamp shade and curtains. It was kind of cheesy, but he loved it.

I of course, was invited to help set everything up, and I was actually one of the only ones to actually _see_ the inside of their house. I was really proud of them, though. They had moved out of the library, and were making their own way. They hadn't been apart from Mari for long yet—and from what I'd heard, they visited her literally every other day, if not more frequently—but they were doing alright.

"Did I tell you about the barbecue we're throwing?" Izumi asked, tearing her eyes away from Bearmon and his camera.

"No," I said, pouting a little.

"I meant to tell you," she said. "It's tonight, so I mean, I'd get it if you couldn't come. We're welcoming the new neighbours. The digimon from Witchenly finally feel comfortable coming back to the Digital World, and Kiyoko's worried that they're still a bit afraid, so I thought I'd throw something together to show them that we don't blame them."

"Were they in Witchenly?" I asked, thinking that they had to have been. Izumi nodded.

"Kiyoko's over the moon, because Gravimon's coming to the barbecue too," Izumi said with a smile. Gravimon had decided that he didn't want to live in the Digital World after all. Now that the Olympos XII—no, Olympos _XIII_ —were ruling over Witchenly again, he felt the need to go and defend his forest from any potential attempts at expanding the towns. He still visited frequently though, and Kiyoko was always giddy with excitement when he did. "And Tomoki's going to introduce us to his new girlfriend. Hideto invited Tako too. He's got his mind made up about her and Junpei. It'll be fun to watch him set them up."

"I think they might actually be good together," I told her.

"Well, if _Hideto_ says so, it must be true," she said with a laugh. "But yeah, Tomoki's new girlfriend is coming. Ken and Miyako are coming too, to make sure she feels comfortable, but Tomoki doesn't seem to think she'll have any problems with a crowd."

"Who is this mysterious person?" I asked, teasingly—but I was actually very curious. I was trying to guess in my mind, but I couldn't figure out who Ken and Miyako knew that I didn't.

"She works with Ken," Izumi explained. "I think her name is Kimi...I don't know much about her."

"I'll be there," I said, practically squealing. "She helped with evacuating the people from Astamon, and she was there to help against Apocalymon. She's cute too."

"I think Hideto's trying to find a partner for her. He hasn't _said_ anything concrete yet, but you know him. He's really trying to help find the perfect match for everybody," Izumi said, smiling.

"I know," I cooed. "He matched up Tako and Chuumon."

"She took Sukamon home with her too, didn't she?" Izumi wondered.

"She wouldn't split them up," I confirmed. "And Michan didn't want much to do with digimon for a long time there, and Hideto says that she's Sukamon's partner. Last I heard she was visiting him though. I think she's finally coming to her senses."

"Well, Gaia's been gone for a long time," Izumi said with a sigh. "She's sure been taking her time. But I can't blame her. I don't know what I'd do if I was in her position."

"I guess I can't imagine it either," I said with another pout. "But she _did_ set fire to my restaurant while I was inside of it. I'm _trying_ to forgive her, but Palmon was in there too, and I could have lost her. It's going to take a little more time."

"In the interest of full disclosure then," Izumi said carefully, "Tako _might_ bring Michan with her to the barbecue. I haven't heard for sure yet, but I think it is a possibility."

"She's not even to scare me away," I assured Izumi. "But, I'm going to have to get going, if I'm going to make it there tonight. I left Palmon and Hideto in charge back on Earth, and we're going to have to make it through the lunch rush if I plan to close early. Apparently most of my staff is coming to the barbecue too."

"Tell Takeru he can come too," Izumi said with a wink. "Then you'll be really scooped."

I laughed, and slipped out of the restaurant. It was in good hands. Izumi was going to do great things with it, and it was much closer to her home. I was just glad that Hideto wasn't ditching the Earth restaurant in favour of working in the Digital World.

It took about half an hour to make it to the temporary Council tent in the mostly empty camp grounds. Kiyoko would be redesigning it soon. There were very few people still calling it home—and they mostly just didn't want to leave the Digital World, and were talking with Taichi about moving here—and soon it would be turned into a smaller town, surrounding Primary Village. That way the Yokomon, Koromon, Pagumon, Punimon and any other small digimon wouldn't _have_ to move out whenever it got crowded. They still _could_ , but they wouldn't _need_ to. Elecmon had some help, since Mr Ogremon's assistants from the days of the Coliseum were going to establish a school in the town. Biyomon and Hawkmon were often spotted volunteering and Rei was working with the kids full time these days.

I thought it was a wonderful idea, to have other, _older_ digimon and humans around the children, so that they had a balanced influence, and a support system for when they grew and made their way into the world.

There was no line at the Council tent, and I slipped inside, using the key to bring me directly to my office in the restaurant. Koushiro nearly fell out of my desk chair when I appeared in a blast of light. I laughed, as he tried to calm himself, before I leaned over and kissed him. He flushed, as he always did if we were in a public location—even a closed off one like my office. It was adorable.

"How is everything coming together?" he asked, when I'd finished laughing at him.

"It's good," I said brightly. "I'm so excited. This was a good idea. I wasn't sure for a little bit there, but I really think it's the right choice."

"And you'll be expanding your market," he said. "From a business standpoint, it's an excellent place to start. I think you could branch out in America too. Your parents are there, and Michael and Tatum. It's not a huge leap in terms of locations, and I think there would be a real market for traditional Japanese cuisine—"

"Let's get this one up and running before we look into expanding further, okay?" I suggested. My heart felt like it was going to burst with happiness though. He really believed in me and my brand. He thought this was going to be successful. "I couldn't have done this without you," I told him earnestly.

"I couldn't have done a lot of things without you," he assured me. And once upon a time I might not have believed him, but I knew he wasn't lying. We were a team now. A real family—with Tentomon and Palmon too. I didn't feel inadequate in any way, and he wasn't high strung, and swamped with work all the time. We could make our dreams into realities.

It was amazing.

"I love you," I told him with a giddy smile.

"I love you too," he said slowly, eying me suspiciously.

"You're never allowed to divorce me," I informed him, kissing his cheek. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Was there something you wanted to tell me about?" he asked dryly. Since Katsue had pointed out that we didn't need to get a divorce in order to include Palmon in our wedding, we just hadn't mentioned the word. It was like an unspoken rule.

"No," I sighed. "I just want you to know that you're stuck with me forever—and also we're going to a barbecue later, so hurry up and finish whatever your working on."

"I'm almost done, actually," he said. "I was just checking facts for Takeru. He wanted me to make sure he had everything right before he started writing his next book."

"Aw," I cooed. "You're so sweet."

"I'm simply ensuring that he doesn't lie to the populace," he said, embarrassed. I laughed, and wandered out into the restaurant. I spotted Takeru leaning over a table to talk to little Louisa, who was sitting on Michael's lap. Tatum was talking to Willis about something, and Takeru was adding comments whenever he felt the need to.

I was tempted to tell Takeru to get back to work, because the customers couldn't seat themselves, _just_ so I could have Louisa to myself, but I figured I'd let him have a minute first. Hideto was clanging away in the kitchen. I spotted him when Tako was carrying plates out into the dining room, taking them to a table with a young couple.

It took me a second to realize that the couple wasn't human—and that I knew them. I rolled my eyes, and headed towards them, leaning on the table and looking down to Palmon with an eyebrow raised.

"Is this how you run things?" I asked, amused.

"Agumon came to visit," Palmon said defensively. "I couldn't let him go hungry. We're a restaurant Mimi. If people leave hungry, it would be bad for business."

"And you just _had_ to join him?" I asked, with a smirk.

"I asked her to," Agumon said sheepishly. "I like to have company when I eat."

"You're too cute," I said, winking at him. "I guess I'll give you a pass, Palmon, but seriously, you're supposed to wait until _break time_."

"I'll remember that for next time," Palmon said simply.

I laughed, noting that she intended for there to be a next time. They were adorable. I wanted to go make Koushiro eat something—he still forgot to do that far too often—but I knew that I had work to do. We'd get to eat later, at the barbecue. For now, my dream was calling—and there were dishes to be washed.

 ** _Daisuke Motomiya:_**

There were people everywhere. The smell of popcorn and barbecued meats filled the air. It was really making the atmosphere more exciting. I hadn't thought I could feel this level of excitement in the Coliseum, after spending so many hopeless weeks trapped within its walls.

But it was different now. The garden had been cleared out, and the individual rooms had been set up as temporary housing—almost like a hostel, or a motel, except no one needed to pay to use them. I knew that Armadillomon and Kotemon had both spent a few nights in the rooms, because they were continuing on the Kendo training—and general fitness work—that they'd started up during the time in the Coliseum. They were very excited about the overall turnout. Now that Piximon's home was back in Neverland where it belonged, there wasn't a good place to work out in the area, and while Kotemon and Armadillomon didn't claim to be as good as Piximon as personal trainers, the digimon that worked with them had no complaints.

Veemon came to practices every once in a while. He didn't need to often though, because of his work with the Knights. He also had a full time job, being the manager of all other Veemon that were working our carts for us. Our business was spreading quickly. For a time, we thought we could pull it off, only hiring Veemon to help run the carts, but that wasn't going to cut it. There were just too many people that wanted to eat noodles.

It might also have been the cheap price tag that drew customers in.

But the reason didn't matter. We made the food as cost efficiently as we could, so that we met our needs—in order to buy new ingredients—and could donate as much of the profit as we could, outside of paycheques, to make sure people weren't going hungry. I was hoping to find a way to do even more for those people, but for now, that was all I could do—other than donating food, which we also did regularly.

I'd been at the bottom of the barrel. I knew what it was like to have a small child and no income. I'd lost my home, and had to rely on the kindness of Sora in order to keep my family together. Other people weren't as lucky as I was. There wasn't always a "Sora" to save the day. No child needed to go hungry. But no adult did either. I'd been approached by organizations that wanted to work with me, and while I wasn't sure _why_ they would pick me, I was willing to do whatever it took to get food into mouths.

I was a Digidestined. I'd saved everyone's life once—maybe more than once—and I needed a different way to help people. Once upon a time, I cooked noodles and ran my carts because I loved the idea of them. I loved the freedom of being my own boss, and I loved the sheer variety of foods I could create, because noodles were such a simple starting point. Now, the noodles weren't just something I liked, they were a way I could help the people of the world, even though I wasn't needed as a Digidestined anymore.

It was kind of empowering to know that my dream was now helping to feed other people that might not have found food otherwise. I didn't want to do it half-way either. Kurayami and I talked about it, long and hard. I didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize our family, but she was a practicing therapist now, and she was making enough money that we weren't going to go hungry if I didn't keep more than the bare minimum wage as my own paycheque. Veemon was more than willing to accept the same—and while I hesitated at accepting his offer, because he'd done so much more than I ever had to keep the worlds safe, I had to give in to him when he gave me a heartfelt speech about how he didn't want anyone to be hungry either.

We _could_ have been better off than we were, but we didn't _need_ it. We lived frugally. It was a system that had been deeply embedded in our lifestyle. We didn't buy name brands, we bought things on the cheaper side—but we didn't prohibit ourselves either. We weren't dirt poor anymore. But we weren't Taichi, or Michael.

At one point, I wanted to be as wealthy as they were more than anything, because I wanted Haruki to have a roof over his head and good food in his stomach. But we didn't want those things anymore. We were happy, even though we weren't rich. We were happy, even though we didn't live in a giant house, with a fancy car, and a big backyard.

We had an apartment, and we had each other. And that was everything I needed—and Kurayami agreed. We had love and togetherness—and the worlds were at peace. There was nothing to complain about.

"I'm so hungry," Veemon whined—which completely proved me wrong, because he was totally complaining, but whatever. "I can smell it! I want popcorn."

"Give me a minute," I told him, rolling my eyes. "I can't even see where the vendor is. Keep your eyes out for Taichi, okay? I think Iori and Hideto wanted to come too. See if you can find any of them."

"Labramon's gonna be so jealous," Veemon said, rubbing his hands together, and licking his lips in anticipation of the popcorn.

Labramon _was_ going to be jealous. But it was his own fault. He was the one that decided he didn't want to come. He was invited. Kurayami didn't want to come though, and he felt obliged to stay with her, because she was going to have her hands full with Haruki and DemiVeemon. I almost felt bad leaving her alone with the pair of them. They were little monsters sometimes, always running about and 'exploring'. We had to keep the doors locked, or Haruki would escape into the corridors in the apartment building, and we'd have to search for him frantically—getting disappointed looks from the neighbours when we asked them if they'd seen our son.

He was trying to make us look incompetent, I _swear_.

But we loved him anyway. He was our little guy, and we were really getting the hang of the whole parenting thing. I wasn't all that impressed with Spring's pestering about having another kid, but sometimes I liked to entertain the thought. We were young yet though, and we had a lot of time to worry about stuff like that.

For now, we were a happy family of six, and that was enough.

"I think that's Taichi," Veemon called, pointing over to the left. I tried to see behind the Sniimon and Floramon that were waiting in line for the restroom, and sure enough, I could see Taichi, talking away with Agumon, and looking at his phone. Veemon took off like a rocket towards them, and I followed—at a much slower, more normal pace. Taichi didn't look up until I elbowed him and he smiled tiredly at me, before putting his phone in his pocket.

"Rough day at work?" I asked him.

"I don't have any other kind," he sighed. "I was so sure that the peace would make things easier, but I didn't think about all the things we would lose in our quest to _bringing_ that peace. There's so much destruction that needs to be taken care of, and Kiyoko's working overtime as it is. He's putting a new house on his street, because he was stressed out about the towns, and single houses are easier. I don't want to push him too hard. He's invaluable, but I feel useless, because I don't actually understand the software well enough to really use it myself."

"It's only been a year, Taichi," I told him, trying to use a calming tone, but it just seemed to frustrate him further.

"No," he said. "It's been _more_ than a year. Two months more. Fourteen months after the final attack, and we're still not recovered. I feel like I'm letting everyone down. I just thought peace would be happier, I guess."

"Hey, things will work out," Veemon said, shrugging his shoulders. "The Digital World had to recover plenty of times before you even came along. The digimon are used to it."

"And the recycled digimon are having an easier time," Agumon added pointedly. "Elecmon's got help now. Rei was just telling us about the quicker digivolution rate. They're learning faster, and are growing under a constant _balanced_ influence. Elecmon's not so overwhelmed with babies anymore."

"It doesn't help the ones that were lost on Earth," Taichi said, frustrated. "And the virus still wiped out more. The population is lower than it's ever been, even with the humans that are making the move to live in the Digital World."

"Mina's asked Kiyoko for a house," Agumon said. "She's used to living here, because she got trapped when the worlds were supposed to stay apart forever. Remember that? Yeah, she's just going to move here. I think a couple other chosen were going to move to the Digital World too."

"I think Jun and Shuu were pretty interested in that new house Kiyoko's planning, so they might move too," Taichi said. "But I'm worried about the population."

"Because digimon don't reproduce and therefore can't expand their numbers in future generations?" I guessed. Taichi nodded.

"There's also the digimon that have decided to stay on Earth permanently," Taichi said, nodding in Veemon's direction. "Those ones don't worry me so much. They're still alive. Miyako's gotten them rights—in Japan anyway. She and Neo were looking into expanding those rights on a more global scale."

"I'm not really very good at keeping up with what they do," I admitted sheepishly. "I'm kind of stuck in my own world."

"Yours is important too," Agumon assured me. "Even if I don't know what it is that _you_ do."

"He feeds people, dummy," Veemon said, punching Agumon's arm in a friendly sort of way. Agumon laughed and looked impressed, and happiness bloomed through me. I was happy with what I did, but Agumon literally helped run the Knights and the Council—both of which were incredibly relevant and important to the entire Digital World. And that wasn't even mentioning all the battles Agumon won with his various levels of digivolution. He was literally super impressive, and he was impressed with _me_. It was flattering, and humbling.

"You want to head up to the arena, or do you want to wait for the others?" I asked Taichi, too uncertain of how else to continue the conversation. Taichi pulled his phone out again and waved it around a bit.

"Hideto texted, and said he and Kiyoko were already up there," he explained. "They came with Amai, Katsue, Koushiro and Mrs Izumi."

"Yoshie's here?" I wondered, surprised. It really didn't seem like something she'd be interested in.

"No," Taichi said, amused. "I mean _Grandma_ Izumi."

"What's _she_ doing here?" Veemon asked, surprised.

"I think it's a family bonding thing," Taichi answered, shaking his head, unsure of his answer. "I don't know. I don't understand them. But then, my family has _dinner_ together on a regular basis."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," I said laughing as I pat Veemon on the head.

"You've never had my mother's cooking," Taichi said. I honestly wasn't sure he was joking anymore. He looked so serious.

"You _know_ I lived with your family, don't you?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.

"You did! So you know it's like Russian roulette. You don't know which dish might have the poison in it. You risk your life every time dinner is served," Taichi said, eyes wild and arms flying wide.

"He's being dramatic," Agumon said, rolling his eyes.

"No, I'm really not," Taichi insisted. "You could ask Parrotmon. He tried one of Mom's muffins and got blown up—literally, the muffin exploded. Ask Yoshie if you don't believe me. She was there. She helped make them."

"I'll believe you," I assured him—even though I actually had a rather hard time believing him. Yuuko _was_ an adventurous chef, I'd give him that much. But I'd never been poisoned by eating anything she served. I helped cook more often than not, though, trying to earn my keep, despite her insistence that I didn't need to. That might've been what saved me from the nightmare he was describing.

When we finally agreed to make our way up to the arena we were almost immediately stopped by a yellow bird digimon trotting along, blocking our path. Veemon seemed patient to wait but Agumon was rather irritable already until a familiar face joined that small Hyokomon. "Takuya," Taichi said, nodding his head politely to the man who seemed surprised to find us there.

"Hey," he grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Have you seen Izumi anywhere?" Both Taichi and I shook our heads since we hadn't, but the conversation quickly changed when Veemon gasped out and turned to a small toddler who had run into Veemon's back, not having been paying attention to where he was going.

"Where are your parents?" Agumon asked him, looking to the left. The kid just gurgled at him, either unable to answer, or unwilling. A moment later the worried expression on the anxious kid's face turned to amusement and he reached up to Agumon's, slipping his tiny fingers into the digimon's nose. "Hey stop!" Agumon jumped back, dragging Veemon along with him for protection and when the toddler moved after Hyokomon he followed their lead.

Takuya and Taichi both stepped in the kid's path to rescue their partners and I moved to kneel at his side. He reached for me and took my hand which I gently allowed. Taichi and Takuya soon knelt down too and together we stared to the kid who seemed in awe to have found some new friends. "Where the heck did you come from?"

The kid paused for a moment and then simply laughed. We all sighed.

We found some answers soon enough when a frantic man and woman raced along the stone seating to find him. The woman scooped the tiny tot into her arms and cradled him close, much to the child's dismay.

"I told you to stay put," she scolded him.

"Thank you," the man told us, massively thankful that his son hadn't gone too far.

"No problem," I said. "This is your kid then Keiko?" The woman seemed surprised that I knew her, but it was hard to forget the horrified face of a woman who had her partner viciously taken from her. I'd been there when Moretsuna stole Burpmon from her with the virus, and I'd even seen her when we were kids, with the whole Dark Spore thing.

I was mostly surprised that she didn't recognize _me_. I literally hadn't changed at all. She'd at least gotten her hair cut. But her eyes lit up soon enough, and she seemed embarrassed to have not recognized me—or any of us really.

"Yeah," she said, looking to the squirming boy in her arms. "This is my little Takato."

"Takato huh?" I wondered. I reached out and shook the boy's hand, causing him to giggle. "It's nice to meet you, little guy."

I chatted with her a little while, and learned that Takato was a year old, getting to closer to two, and was a real handful. She and her husband Takehiro were running a small bakery now, but were hoping that they would be able to move to a larger location soon. She still missed Burpmon, but that was to be expected. She had found happiness though, and I was proud of her for it.

When the Matsuda's took their leave we headed up to the arena—without Takuya as he was still on a quest to find his friends—since the others were supposedly waiting there for us. Veemon made us take a detour though, to get the popcorn I'd promised him, and somehow we'd all come away with popcorn, soft drinks and hot dogs, at Taichi's insistence. He was fitting the bill, so I didn't mind _too_ much—though I didn't particularly like it.

There were a _lot_ of digimon in the stands, each one interested in joining in the action at some point in the future. I never came to _join_ the action myself, but I liked to watch everyone. There were so many spectators that I thought for sure we'd never find them, but Agumon suggested we use our digivices—which was brilliant, and should have been the first thing I thought of, but I was clearly unused to needing them anymore—and we were able to track Hideto down soon enough, with his unique signal. He was sitting on the wall, rather than one of the stands, and Kiyoko was curled up at his side, reaching over Hideto to grab some of Warg's popcorn. Warg took a piece and threw it at Kiyoko, and it bounced of his nose. They both burst into laughter.

Hideto was more focussed on his impatience. He kept looking to the arena entrances, waiting to see someone come out and start this thing. But his impatience wasn't going to make the time move faster, and we still had another fifteen minutes before everything was meant to begin.

"Stop bouncing," Kiyoko told him, moving away from his uncomfortable boyfriend, but keeping his fingers firmly interlocked with Hideto's. Tapirmon floated to Kiyoko, so he could sit on his lap, and Kiyoko wrapped his free arm around him. DemiDevimon and Monimon were next to Warg, and were sharing his popcorn. Veemon and Agumon plopped themselves down with them, and offered to share theirs as well. I sat down beside them, while Melga was sitting between Grandma Izumi and Amai on my left, happily chatting with both of them—even the uptight old woman. Grandma Izumi was seated with grace and poise that I didn't know was possible when sitting on a hunk of stone, and was putting a lot of effort into listening to what Melga was telling her, even if she wasn't particularly interested in being there at all.

Her eye also twitched any time Kiyoko or Amai did anything particularly romantic towards their significant others—but she kept her mouth shut, which was a step in the right direction. My dad couldn't keep his mouth shut when all I asked him to do was let me make my own career choices. Grandma Izumi had a step up on him.

Not that Dad was particularly horrible anymore. The mend in our relationship wasn't able to be mended by just a year, but it _was_ being mended—mostly because of Mom's new confident nature, and the growing bond between Dad and Marsmon, which helped him understand my life. There was nothing like having a war god talk me up to my father. Dad was pretty sure I was some war hero now—which wasn't entirely untrue.

It was still weird though.

Katsue and Koushiro were deep in conversation with Tentomon, and clearly hadn't noticed our arrival, until Taichi sat himself down behind them. I handed my hot dog off to Warg, who split it between him and DemiDevimon—Monimon didn't want any—and sparked up a conversation about how Monimon should really come to Knight practice, so that he could film them.

"I just think it would make a good documentary," Warg insisted.

"It really would," Veemon said. "And it would help the Digital World get to know us on a deeper level. I think they might like to _know_ the people that are protecting them."

"You just want to be a star," I accused him, with a smile. He flushed and stubbornly shook his head. I laughed, and caught sight of Michael, Iori, Betamon and Armadillomon coming towards us. They settled in around us. I gave Armadillomon and Betamon my seat on the wall, because they were so short, and leaned back against the seat I was _meant_ to be sitting in. Michael and Iori sat by me.

"This is my first time here," Michael informed me, practically vibrating with excitement.

"I've come once a month since it started up," I told him. "It's pretty much the same every time, but I like to come and support the use of the Coliseum. I like that it's being used as something other than a life-saving prison. I mean, it's _brutal_ , but it's nice."

"You ever thought of joining in?" Michael asked, sounding anxious—like he thought I'd _make_ him join.

"I have," Iori said with a smile.

"You've _thought_ of it?" I questioned carefully.

"No," Iori said. "I've done it. Several times. It's quite relaxing. It's also very safe. There are a lot of rules and regulations involved in making sure no one can be permanently injured—or killed."

"You're really making me want to participate," Michael said sarcastically.

Hideto leaned back and winked in our direction. "It's _way_ _more_ fun than you think."

"Why am I not surprised that he's done it too?" Michael questioned no one in particular. "I can't damage my face, so I think it's safer to just _not_. I've got to keep myself looking sharp. Smith just gave word on a potential project in the works. Don't tell anyone, but word is that a television studio is looking to buy the film rights to a certain Digimon Adventure series. I don't know if Takeru's looking to sell those rights right now, but if he does, I see a potential role in my future."

"You think they're going to hire a movie star for a TV show?" I asked, laughing. "The entire main cast will be children. Are you going to play someone's dad?"

"No," Michael said conspiratorially. "I was thinking I'd play Gennai."

"Go on," Iori said, sounding intrigued.

"Hear me out," Michael said. "In the first book, everyone met Gennai, right? The whole population—of like, the entire world—thinks that Gennai's supposed to be _old_. It's not until the tail end of your second adventure that you met Gennai again and discovered that he's meant to be younger. So, the TV executives will think it's just a bit part, because Gennai's only young during that weird flashback that Hikari led everyone on—only it was really Summer sending a message by way of Mom's powers? I don't really understand how that went down, exactly, but the point is, I'll be cast as a small role, that happens to appear in like one episode, and then book two hits, and then they realize that I'll have to be a regular."

"And not only will you have to be Gennai again, you'll have to be Benjamin, Hogan, Ilya, Jose and Jackie," I realized, smiling at the idea.

"Yeah, I get two dramatic death scenes that I know I can do justice, instead of having someone else that didn't even _know_ Gennai do them poorly—and I'll be able to make sure Jackie's has the same decency. _Plus_ I get to do several accents, work with all of the young actors they cast to be us, and have so many cool fighting scenes it'll be unreal. It's like the perfect role!" Michael exclaimed.

"And if the show gets picked up and cast before the second book hits the shelves, no one else will know that," Iori said, laughing.

"I really want that part!" Michael cried. "I'm debating not even asking for a paycheque, but Smith probably won't stand for it—and Dad probably wouldn't support it either."

"You think they'll cast your Dad as himself in season two?" I wondered. Michael laughed.

"No," he said. "He'll be _way_ too old to fit the role by then."

"Shh!" Veemon hissed. "They're coming out."

A silence seemed to fall over the dozens of digimon in the stands. Shuri and Shin walked into the open, and set up their table with medical supplies, while Tankmon and Tuskmon headed towards the centre of the arena.

It took all of three seconds for the fighting to begin. Veemon dropped his popcorn as he winced when the first attack hit. I had to look away after the second. I only came to support the use of the Coliseum. Watching them fight was hard on a full stomach.

"I'm fighting later," Iori said excitedly.

"Against _me_ ," Hideto added, holding his thumb up in Iori's direction. Iori narrowed his eye, looking Hideto up and down, judging the competition and then smiled, which made Hideto even more competitive.

And the more competitive he was talking, the more anxious Kiyoko grew. He was already hiding his face in Hideto's shoulder, afraid of the fight that was happening in front of him. Amai was hiding her eyes too, not liking the ferocity that Tankmon and Tuskmon were showing as they fought against one another.

"WOO!" Katsue shouted, cheering them on. Unlike Amai, she was definitely into it. Koushiro looked a little green, next to her, and Taichi seemed unsure. But he was clapping anyway, to encourage the two fighters.

When Tankmon and Tuskmon finally called it quits, Kiyoko was already thinking about heading home. Hideto was pouting, and trying to talk him in to staying—which was kind of hilarious—and then Takuya and the other Original Digidestined showed up.

I also spotted Hiroshi—one of the other Dark Spore victims—hanging out by Shin and Shuri, and realized Keiko had probably come to support him. That explained why she had brought her son to such a terribly violent event.

Takuya and the others were lively, and caught Koushiro's attention quickly enough. Amai moved to talk with them, instead of watching the violence, as Jin and Shoto fought against one another—and Falcomon and Starmon fought on the other side of the field as well. Taichi migrated towards Kiyoko, to steal his attention, so they could talk about the finer details of the Temple that still needed to be rebuilt. Betamon and DemiDevimon needed the bathroom, so Michael took them, and I sat myself down between Veemon and Grandma Izumi again, trying to take in the atmosphere.

Hideto, Iori and Katsue continued to scream and cheer, getting really into the sport that was taking place in front of us, and I tried not to laugh at the winces and frowns that Grandma Izumi produced. The frown grew from disgust into genuine fear when the next fighters walked to the centre of the arena. Even Amai, Kiyoko and Koushiro started paying attention when Tafu walked confidently, like she owned the place, to meet Dan. They crouched down and started fighting, and for once, all the Izumis were on the same page.

"GO TAFU!" Amai shouted loudly. Katsue screamed out a wordless cheer, and when Tafu knocked Dan off his feet, I could have sworn I heard Grandma Izumi mutter a victorious, " _Yes!_ "

 ** _Taichi Yagami:_**

Fifteen months after its fall, the Temple was standing tall again. It was beautiful—well, not literally. It was still just a bunch of stone and housing and whatnot. It wasn't the most beautiful thing to look at. But it was still a sight for sore eyes.

Kiyoko had really outdone himself. Benjamin was standing with him, to my left, practically singing his praise. Agumon was at my side, and the rest of the Council was standing with Benjamin and Kiyoko—who didn't feel he had any right to be standing up in front of the crowd, despite the fact that this grand reopening couldn't have taken place without him.

There was a makeshift wooden platform that was acting as a small stage that Agumon and I were standing on. Akira—of the Teenage Wolves—had set up a microphone, while Yutaka and Takashi and Katsue had ensured that there were speakers strategically placed so that everyone could hear everything I said. It was intimidating, during the sound check, and it was worse now.

There were so many eyes looking towards me that I couldn't even begin to guess how many there were. Thousands, probably. All of my friends were out there. I saw Michael leaning against the courtyard wall, next to the tree thrones that Spring had grown again. Spring and Summer were seated in their custom tree seats, while Jenna was sitting on Autumn's autumnal tree, with both Clio and Louisa in her lap. Yume and Bitoru were nearby, neither willing to make use of Winter's throne, leaving it empty, as an honorary tribute to her. I liked to think she might've been watching over us, with Autumn and Gennai, but _that_ thought put a whole new level of pressure to the speech I knew I was going to need to make.

And then my mind went to Norn, who was most definitely watching from her own world—where she watched over everything that happened in _all_ of the worlds. I could literally have a multiple-worldly audience. I wasn't sure how I was going to actually deal with that amount of stress, and Tatum wasn't helping, holding a video camera, and was scanning the entire crowd—recording the event for 'posterity'. I just hoped I wouldn't make a complete fool of myself.

Monodramon, Kudamon and Betamon were all sitting closer to me, among the other Rookie digimon—and Gekomon, who was cuddling with Otamamon, and trying to fold in on himself, as if he expected someone would call him out on being a Champion in a sea of Rookies. No one had mentioned a word to Gatomon, though, and I knew no one would hold it against him. Everyone had been very conscious of where they were sitting so that others could have a clear view—Gekomon and Gatomon just weren't big enough to cause an issue. The kindness of the crowd made it even more intimidating, I thought, since there were so many more eyes than there might've been, all having a clear view of me—but it _was_ really nice of everyone.

Chi was sitting on top of the wall, keeping an eye on his girlfriend and their daughter, while growing impatient for my speech to begin. He was joined by Willis and the rest of Alias III—except they apparently weren't calling themselves that anymore, and I was trying to do the same, even if it _was_ hard to wrap my head around. Mari was holding Willis' hand, and had an arm tightly around Aneko's shoulder, so that she couldn't fall. Hideto had Tapirmon on his lap, while Warg and Melga huddled on either side of him. Lalamon was nestled in on Aneko's knees, looking down happily upon the crowd.

Neo was with Rei, and was leaning casually against the wall opposite the one Michael was standing at. Evelen and Kansui had joined them. Pal and Pul were front and centre, sticking their tongues out at me, trying to make me laugh. Gankoomon, Dracomon and Hackmon were all with the Knights, who were standing together on the other side of the giant statue I was meant to be unveiling. The only official Knight not present was Omnimon—because Warg and Melga's digivolution changed, and was quite menacing, and they decided they didn't want to accidentally scare anyone, before resigning. I was still in the process of trying to convince them to join back up, but they were quite adamant that Gabumon and Agumon could fill in their place just fine.

Lopmon and Terriermon were waving at Willis, who was burying his face in his hand, shoulders shaking as he laughed at his partners' behaviour. Veemon, Gabumon, Dorumon and Dracomon were more subdued then the twins, but they were all on their toes as their eyes sought out their partners. Dorumon spotted Kamemon with the Rookies fairly easily, finding Mom was harder, but he found her, surrounded by at least a dozen other people. Dad was with her, as were Koushiro's parents, and Mimi's, and Sora's. I was pretty sure that most of my friends' parents were with her, and I wanted to just lock eyes with her, and forget everything, and every _one_ else, but there was still someone else I had to find, someone that always gave me strength and courage when I needed it, and gave me something to fight towards—and had, since she was born.

It was just hard to find Hikari, in a crowd of hundreds—more than a thousand at _least_.

Sora and Yamato were standing together, his arm around her shoulder, and Biyomon held tightly in Sora's arms. Jou was with his family. Emiko was on his shoulders, waving her hands wildly. Momoe had Renjiro, but Gomamon was with Gatomon in the Rookie section—with Patamon, Tentomon and Armadillomon. Jou's brothers were near him, with Jun and their parents. Meramon was being careful not to touch anybody, and Shuu had Monmon on his shoulders. Jun had her arms around Bearmon, and Aimi was seated on Unimon's back. Cho, Eri and Kazue weren't with them, but they were easily spotted. The Teenage Wolves weren't too far from Yamato, and each of the three guys was holding the hand of one of Jou's step-sisters. Izumi and Takuya were showing off their little Penguinmon. Junpei, Tomoki and the twins weren't far from them, with Kimi, Yakuin, and Tako.

Meiyomon was with Fumiko and his siblings—including Iori, who had his arm around Natsuni's waist and was holding Kana on his hip. Okotte was holding Fumiko's hand, trying to remain discreet, but Kurayami was pointing to their hands and sharing a grin with Daisuke—who held Haruki as firmly as he could manage, while the squirmy kid tried to escape, so he could sit with DemiVeemon and the other digimon. I could practically _hear_ his desperate pleas, _"I'm little too! I can sit with them. I'll be good._ " He was always trying to reason his way into getting what he wanted, which I personally found far more appealing than the standard temper tantrums, and screaming.

Not that he won many of his cases. He was just a kid still, after all.

My eyes flitted over the Inoues, and the Ichijoujis—Mai too was squirming, trying to get a better view, though _she_ managed to escape Miyako's grasp, and started running towards Poromon. Masa chased after his younger cousin, and Ken just laughed, as Mai tried to dodge capture. The Tachikawas, and Washingtons had come along with Michael, all the way from America for the evening, and were standing with the Izumis—both Koushiro's parents, and his grandmother. Jupitermon had come from Witchenly with Gravimon and the Olympos members. Lunamon and Coronamon were with the other Rookies, but the others were all collected together near the back. Petermon, CaptainHookmon and Tinkermon were with Pixiemon, representing Neverland in much the same way.

The fight club was about as far away from Grandma Izumi that Tafu could manage, and Amai and Katsue were standing with them, both devoid of their partners, due to them being next to Pal and Pul. Monimon had been instructed to film the occasion, just as Tatum was doing.

Benjamin cleared his throat loudly, and I looked to him, and the rest of the council. They were starting to get antsy. The crowd would soon grow restless too. I sighed, and gave up my search for Hikari, and stepped towards the microphone. I took a deep breath, and then Agumon tugged at my pant leg. I held up a finger to the audience, though I was sure they wouldn't appreciate being kept waiting longer, and ducked down so Agumon and I could talk semi-privately—it was impossible to be entirely private, because of the giant group of people watching us, but we tried our best.

"What's up?" I asked him. I caught sight of Rei out of the corner of my eye. She looked worried, and I smiled to her, holding a hand up, assuring her that nothing was wrong. She grinned back, and leaned against Neo, making him grimace momentarily—purely for show, and _everyone_ knew it. My wife had her brother wrapped around her little finger.

"HIkari's taking pictures," he informed me with a knowing look. "You should look her way, so the pictures turn out okay."

He nodded his head—not-so-subtly—in Hikari's direction, and my eyes eagerly looked to her. She waved, from her place next to Takeru. I couldn't help the blinding grin on my face. Somehow, the camera in Hikari's hands wasn't nearly as intimidating as the ones with Tatum or Monimon.

Maybe it was because she was taking pictures, instead of video.

More likely, it was because it was _Hikari_ , and she'd never done anything that could hurt me in the long run. She supported me endlessly, even through all of my obnoxiously overprotective behaviour, and my disastrous relationship with Sora. She supported me, even if she didn't agree with me—aside from that one time she slapped me. She let me make mistakes, and she helped me to fix them.

And if I made a mistake during my speech, I knew that she'd make jokes about it with me afterwards, and would refuse to let me think of this as a failure.

She nodded to me, and frowned briefly, looking to her wrist—which was devoid of a watch, despite her obvious intentions. I smiled to myself, and patted Agumon on the head. He beamed at me, pleased to have gotten rid of my nerves, and I looked out to the crowd once more, as I took a deep breath, and moved my face towards the microphone.

"Welcome," I said as brightly as I could, locking eyes on Hikari to ensure that no nerves could get to me. I was born for this. I spent all of my childhood on a soccer field, craving the crowd's attention. I wasn't alone then, but I wasn't alone now either. Agumon was at my side—the council wasn't far away, Rei and Hikari were waiting.

This was bound to be my defining moment. This speech, after everything that happened, would make or break my career as the 'ambassador' of the Digital World. It didn't matter how many times I'd helped to _save_ the world. Beating enemies up—at one time killing them without question—wasn't enough to make me their leader. They weren't the Digidestined, they were an entire world, looking for guidance. I needed to appeal to them on a political level. I needed their support, and they needed me to prove my competence.

"Our world—all the worlds—have suffered greatly in recent history, but I am proud to say that it is _history_ now. The threats were defeated, and no other has rose to take their place in over a year. I may have jinxed the situation, by saying that, but I truly believe that we have come out of the darkness," I said confidently, hearing my voice ring out through the speakers spread across the courtyard. There were a few laughs at my jinxing joke, which was the outcome I'd hoped for. I didn't want anyone to think I was serious. I _honestly_ believed that we were safe—until the final Great Evil that only Ryou and his own team could defeat reared its ugly head.

I shook the thoughts away. I couldn't afford to cause mass panic just because there was a Great Evil still in the world. Ryou couldn't deal with it until he was back in 2027—which I supposed he technically _was_ in, despite that time not having come to pass yet for us.

Time travel made my head hurt.

"Our path towards peace was long and winding, filled with trials and tribulations. But _together_ we rose to the challenge and conquered the evil that threatened to unbalance us. We have shown that the Digital World is not to be messed with. We have proven that by working as one, we can survive anything that is thrown our way. We lost many friends, and companions, all valuable and cherished, but we will not allow their memory to perish. It is _because_ of them, that we were able to band together, despite our differing general outlooks on life. They will always be missed, and a memorial will always be present in the Coliseum, where many of you contributed to their memories already. I implore everyone to visit at least once, if you can, both to honour our fallen brethren, and to ensure that any lost friend or loved one is represented there. It is with a heavy heart that I must admit there is yet to be a complete compilation of the losses. It is beyond our resources. But they all live on in those around you. And together, we can ensure their memory is honoured."

There were many solemn nods, and Hikari's eyes were looking suspiciously wet. I understood though. It was hard to admit that we still couldn't list _everyone_ that died. Their data was deleted, and Koushiro couldn't figure out a way to undo what the virus had done—though he had tried, desperately, and still hadn't given up trying, even years later.

"Despite the losses we have suffered, and the damage inflicted upon our world, and other worlds, we have found hope within us. This hope continues to drive us each day, as we recover, slowly but surely, from all that we were dealt," I said, winding down. I wanted my speech to have impact, but _not_ drone on. I didn't want to bore our guests.

"Today marks a day of triumph for us. As you can see, our Temple's restoration is complete. We worked tirelessly in order to ensure that Gennai's base of operations was brought back to its former glory. I know that many of you look to the Temple for guidance, and that things have been uncertain without it. But, today, the Temple is open once more to the public," I said brightly, moving over to the cloth covered statue, feeling all of the eyes follow me.

"Gennai would be proud of every one of you," I declared, knowing it was true—he'd as good as told me before dying the second time. "His only desire was for balance to be maintained, and you have all contributed to that balance." I grabbed hold of the cloth, with Agumon rushing to grab the other side. Together we tugged, and the cloth fluttered to the ground, leaving the statue in all its glory. "And he is still with us, though he's departed this world. He is a symbol of hope and peace and togetherness for everyone in this world, and though evil has stolen him away from us, he will always be here as a beacon and a reminder that anything is possible if we just believe and trust in each other."

The crowd was screaming enthusiastically, looking to the statue of Gennai, and my heart nearly burst. I was afraid that my speech would derail me, but I shouldn't have been worried about myself at all. Gennai believed in me, and though through the last three years—hell, since I started the damn job—I'd been failing to do the same, I had since learned that I _was_ capable enough. I couldn't force all the blame onto my own shoulders. I wasn't that important. I wasn't the only one in charge, and that knowledge really went a long way to helping relieve my stress.

We had the Council for a _reason_. This was a democracy, and while they were willing to give me the reins, I didn't need to take them all the time. Babamon was bitter, and rude, but she had wisdom that I couldn't hope to achieve, and Tinkermon, for all her flighty tendencies, really _did_ understand what the people wanted.

I still had to disperse arguments—daily it seemed—but without the end of the worlds weighing on our shoulders, and without an enemy to focus all our resources on, it turned out that we were a great team. They were far more confidant of their capabilities when there was no war to be waged—though I was certain that if such an event were to happen again, I'd be given the reins once more.

"Hello, I'm Agumon," Agumon said, pulling me from my musings. He had dragged the microphone down to his level and was looking out into the sea of eyes quite happily. He loved being the centre of attention. Speeches were an addiction of his.

"Hi Agumon!" Palmon shouted. Biyomon quickly shouted her greetings too, along with Pal and Pul, and Warg and Melga. Neo looked embarrassed when Rei whistled loudly, waving and winking at Agumon.

"Taichi forgot to tell you that as soon the statue was unveiled that the festival was starting!" Agumon said brightly. "We've got lots of fun and stuff going on. Veemon told me that they've made some new recipes just for tonight, and I know that the Tea Shop and Mimi's restaurant will be open for your every need too. And lots of other places too. We've got some new ones that just moved in, and there are tons of games set up. I'll be in the dunk tank, so you should stop by there and see if you can make me fall in the water. That could be fun. And there are lots of prizes to be won."

"Agumon," I said, laughing, and he looked sheepish for a second, before talking again.

"I guess, what I'm trying to say is...enjoy the festival, and have a good day, because we deserve it, and we worked really hard to make everything fun for you, after everything that was really bad," Agumon said in a rushed voice. "So yeah...I'll be waiting for someone to dunk me in the water...if you _can_."

"I know we can!" Pal shouted, and there was a scattering of laughter, before Agumon and I moved to cut the ribbon that was separating the crowd from the streets filled with the festival booths. Hikari got a picture of the two of us posing with the scissors, before we cut the ribbon and let the crowd filter though the opening.

Agumon rushed off to get to his dunk tank, and Palmon hurried off with him. She was going to be running the booth. Pal and Pul were surely going to be the first in line. Rei stopped at my side and pulled me into a quick kiss—which Hikari snapped a picture of too, and only laughed at my unimpressed look.

"I'm so proud of you," Rei murmured.

"Proud enough to join me for the evening?" I prompted. She laughed, and shook her head.

"You know that I'm running the games for kids," she said, nudging me. "But you could always stop by. You know the kids think you're way more exciting than you are. You could burst their bubble."

"I think I can handle the burden of being their hero without ruining things for them," I said, laughing. It was ridiculous what rumours the digimon had started about the Digidestined over the years, but the rumours just got worse when the kids had gotten a hold of them. The things they were all convinced we'd done were actually impossible. But it felt nice, to know that the kids looked up to us—mostly Agumon and the other digimon, but a little bit to us boring humans too. There were definitely worse people they could strive to be like. Takeru seemed to be the favourite—and he deserved it, for keeping the hope alive even in the darkest of times.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "You should still come visit. They'll probably love it."

"I'll see what I can do," I told her, kissing her once more before she joined Katsue and Amai, and disappeared into the throng of people. Hikari snapped another picture of me, and I glared at her playfully. I probably looked like a lovesick fool in the picture, watching Rei disappear. She just laughed at me.

"Where's Gatomon?" I asked her.

"She ran off with Wizardmon," she said, with a shrug. "I don't know where they went. She'll come back. She always does."

"Yeah, Agumon's always off with Palmon these days," I said. "It's weird. I wonder if Mom and Dad felt like this watching us go off on our own, waiting for the day that we found a home somewhere else."

"Wow," Hikari said, "you're sure getting philosophical. Agumon's just in love, he's not going to leave."

"You think he's in love?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "You're _always_ wrong about these things."

"What do you think?" she said pointedly.

"I kind of agree," I said sheepishly. "What made you so smart?"

"Well, I'm pregnant," Hikari said. "I suppose that's given me a better intuition."

"What?" I said. I stopped walking the moment she said pregnant, despite the fact that she continued on. I looked at her, and then her stomach, and I shuddered at the thought. My baby sister had a baby inside of her. There was a tiny human being in there. It would wiggle and grow. It was too much to compute.

"Taichi," Hikari said, sounding both unimpressed and anxious. I looked up to her face, and saw the worry there. "I'm having a baby. You're going to be an uncle."

"I guess I am, huh," I said, still feeling off balance, but I forced the fear away. Hikari didn't need that. She'd just dropped a bomb on me that I really wasn't expecting, but she and Takeru were married now. I _had_ to know that one day she was going to tell me that very thing. She always wanted kids. It was unrealistic to assume that she'd wait forever.

"Are you okay?" she asked, nervously.

"I should be asking _you_ that, shouldn't I?" I said, walking to her and wrapping my arms around her tightly. She hugged me back, and buried her face in my shoulder. I patted her back and pulled away, so I could see her face. "I love you, and by extension I already love that baby, because he or she is a part of you. We're family, Hikari."

"I love you too, Taichi," she said, softly. She punched my arm though. " _That_ is for scaring me."

"I probably deserve it," I said. "Don't expect me to babysit. I know next to nothing about kids."

"Daisuke hasn't had you watch Haruki?" Hikari asked.

"Not a chance," I said, kind of proud that my niece or nephew would be the first kid I was actually involved with. I'd been _around_ the other kids—Emiko in particular, since she _was_ the oldest—but I hadn't actually had to watch them. I'd scolded Emiko once or twice, but that was the extent of my experience—other than giving presents, I was awesome at that. "You know, we could play board games or something, like me and you used to do."

"You'll have to wait a while," Hikari said, with a smile. "Kids aren't born with the ability to read or count. You've got a couple years to go. In the meantime, however, didn't Rei say that she was playing games with kids? We could head there, and get you some experience. You don't want _Yamato_ to be the favourite uncle, do you?"

"Hell no," I said. "It's _my_ kid sister's kid."

"Takeru is his little brother—" Hikari tried to protest.

"No," I said firmly. "I run the Digital World. How cool is that? The kid's going to love me."

"Well...Yamato went to _space_ ," Hikari said with a smile. " _And_ he's a famous rock star. You've got some tough competition."

"Let's go see the kids then," I decided with a sigh—because she was _right_. "I've got to get an edge up on the competition. Let's see if I can do this."

"You barely have to do anything," Hikari said, rolling her eyes. " _I'm_ the one that's growing this baby, and will have to bring it into the world. You'll just get to _play_."

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "The baby will love you more, whatever. I'm just focussed on beating Yamato."

"Stupid Taichi," Hikari said, rolling her eyes, and linking her arm through mine, as I led her towards the park Rei had set up as the children's activity space.

 ** _Sora Takenouchi:_**

Festivals had never been something I was entirely enamoured by. The flashing lights, the crowds that ebbed and flowed with no real direction, and the constant roar of noise that always seemed to give me a headache were only a few of the numerous reasons behind that opinion. And yet even while all of those things—and more—were also true about this particular festival, I couldn't find it in me to be upset by anything at all.

"I don't know how you eat those things," Biyomon said with a shudder as Tentomon engulfed another battery shaped popsicle. "I think they taste metallic."

"They are supposed to," Tentomon informed her with an awkward sort of tone. "They were crafted with electric and machine digimon in mind, and while I assure you that they are delicious it is not surprising that you do not enjoy them. Perhaps you, as a bird digimon should try something like a worm burger or a nice beetle fried omelette."

"That's disgusting," Biyomon assured him, folding her arms over her chest and pouting as she leaned back into the pretty metal back of the chairs Mimi and Izumi had selected for the outside dining of the new restaurant.

Koushiro and I shared a look as the two stared at one another, and then we both shrugged as Tentomon got right back into the thick of things. "Well it isn't my fault that you find all treats to be disgusting, Biyomon. You, as a bird digimon are meant to eat bugs, and to be completely honest I am not sure why I never saw that before, and I'm a little hurt that you've never mentioned that you find me delicious looking because I find it a tad offensive." Biyomon's mouth was hanging open for a moment and yet Tentomon was not done. "I'm also glad you don't want to eat me of course, and yet that doesn't sound right either—my feelings are confusing, and you're a very selective diner, so I will have to allow that to be the true explanation behind it all. That being said, it does not in any way solve your hunger dilemma. Perhaps you could try something designed for plant digimon. Izumi has begun work on a photosynthesis cocktail that Palmon says is delicious and honestly I trust her word to the ends of the earth."

"Are you quite finished?" Biyomon asked, and Tentomon nodded. Biyomon leaned forward, resting her arms on the table and she looked closer to the bug digimon who sat across from her. "Okay, two things. I'm not even hungry, I _just_ ate." She motioned to the empty plate in front of her and Tentomon looked embarrassed. "And also, you talk _way_ too much."

Koushiro let out a loud snort into the milkshake he was drinking through a thin straw and then gasped as the substance made its way out his nose. I was laughing when I handed him a napkin, but he sent me a glare as he cleaned himself up.

"Hey, it's _pretty_ funny," I reasoned. He didn't seem to agree, but he dropped the issue in the end. He slid his computer out of the way, finally making room for the food that had likely gotten cold from the long wait, and he got to work, devouring the weirdest food on the menu. It was no 'octopus and lentil salad' but it was still quite awful looking. The weird recipes seemed to go over well in the Digital World though, and I knew that excited Mimi. Koushiro's hotdog was covered in a strange assortment of slimy condiments and while I was willing to pretend the hotdog was normal, I knew that wasn't the case.

I turned away as Koushiro sunk his teeth into the fiasco of a meal and looked to the paperwork in front of me. I had to make sure everything was _perfect_. I couldn't let this turn out like the last time. Or the time before that. Or even the time before that. I could feel my heartbeat quickening and I knew I had to slow it down. I started taking deep breaths.

 _"Sora you're freaking out," Yamato had told me only the night before. "You have to let me help you."_

 _I shook my head and stood up, grabbing a glass of water. "Is it hot in here?"_

 _"You're standing beside the fireplace," Gabumon reasoned._

 _"It's_ June _," I said sharply, staring to the open flames. "Why is there a fire?"_

 _"You started it," Gabumon said nervously._

 _"Did I?" I asked. "I don't remember."_

 _"That's because you're so focused on this fashion show," Yamato said, pointing to the mess of papers that were strewn about on the table. I followed his gaze and realized he was right. I did need to take a break. "You need to take a break." Oh he hadn't said that yet. I nodded and he pulled me into a hug, simply holding me for a while. "I know you're afraid that it will turn out like before, but I promise I won't let that happen."_

 _"It's not up to you," I said, pushing away. "I have to do this alone."_

 _"You really don't," Yamato said kindly. "I know your natural state is to feel that way, but I assure you that isn't the case. You want to do it on your own because you've gotten so used to pushing people away, but imagine where you would be without the help of others, Sora. You'd be in prison. And I know a crappy fashion show won't put you in jail, but I want to help you, if you'll let me."_

 _I nodded and he grinned, hopping toward the couch where he pulled the nearest paper closest to him. "Besides," he said with a grin, "you hate organizing things. I'm good at that. You're the spontaneous one."_

 _"But you hate paperwork," I reminded him, pointing to the mess of work around him._

 _"But I love you," he grinned. "And relationships are about compromise. I can put up with a bit of boring work if it helps you in the end."_

"What are you working on?" Koushiro asked, wiping his face with a clean napkin, sliding the food away from him. I hoped that meant he too found it to be inedible. He slid one of the papers that I had finished with closer to himself and scanned it quickly. "Everything seems a bit strictly scheduled, don't you find?"

"Coming from _you_?" I asked, fake gasping. He rolled his eyes and slid the paper back to me.

"I just mean that it seems a bit odd that you scheduled the model's bathroom breaks to the second," he explained.

I looked to the paper and realized he was probably right. I did need to loosen up. "Well they can't be gone too long," I tried to reason. Koushiro's eyebrows furrowed and I knew I had to rework everything, which was just going to stress me out, but I knew if I asked nicely enough he'd help me out. "I just want to make sure everything goes perfectly. I told Mimi that the universe didn't want me in the fashion industry, and she convinced me I was wrong. But if that was the case, why does every fashion show I try to put on fall to pieces?"

"The last one didn't fall to pieces," Biyomon said. "The building was mostly in tact when we left even. All that happened was a bunch of mean people tried to attack baby Haruki, and also they pushed Rei off the stage in her wheelchair—and they also knocked Hikari out and gave her a minor concussion."

I pointed to Biyomon with my pen because she had unknowingly just proved my point.

"But when I was locked away in the terrifying and elusive Land of Dreams you were using your fashion as a statement," Koushiro reminded me, and I blushed, thinking about all the praise I had gotten from it in the end. "That is what fashion is all about, Sora. It is showing the world who you are. You managed to do that for a whole race. You showed the humans what the digimon were made of just by sewing a few dresses and knitting some sweaters. You are incredible, Sora Takenouchi and if the universe is telling you anything about your fashion career it's that you're made of diamond." I took a turn furrowing my brows, confused. "You're—I mean to say that you're strong, and you're not backing down. You're a diamond in the rough and you can do this. Like I said, you're incredible."

"I'm incredible too, right?"

Mimi had interrupted my gratitude, but I knew Koushiro understood how much that had meant to me without me having to tell him anything. He looked up to his wife and smiled. "Of course you are, Mimi." She pointed to the discarded plate of food and raised her eyebrows. "Oh I'm stuffed, Mimi."

She placed her hands on her hips and Koushiro grinned trying to hold his ground and then she shrugged, knocking the plate aside. "Izumi made it. I was just checking to see if you'd say it was better than mine." She slumped into the chair at the end of the table and waved to Tentomon who glanced over his shoulder to see who she could have been addressing. She gave up on him quickly and then leaned back, groaning loudly. "Working a festival is a lot of work."

"But the Temple looks incredible," Koushiro countered. "Kiyoko has done a wonderful job."

"It's true," Biyomon said, slamming her wings down on the table. "Have you seen the D'arcmon memorial wing?" Mimi shook her head and leaned forward, entranced by Biyomon's regular enthusiasm. "Gennai's library is there, as well as a museum and D'arcmon's old house. It's really beautiful. The garden is the best part though, and there's a stone for her."

"There is a stone in the Winter branch as well," Tentomon informed us. I knew this already because Taichi had Kiyoko and me working together on the design for this particular piece of the resurrected Temple. "It was erected in order to remember those who have fallen. Gennai, D'arcmon, Noriko Kawada, and so many more."

"Yeah, I saw Impmon there," Biyomon explained. "He looked really sad, like he was crying, and then when I looked over to Hawkmon for just a _second,_ because I thought he looked _amazing_ standing in the light of the sun kind of like a gem shaped like Hawkmon, Impmon was gone!"

"Tomotsu was searching for him earlier," Mimi noted, pointing back into the restaurant. "That's so sad. I hope he finds him." She then looked to Koushiro. "What about you? What have you been up to today?"

"I took Palmon to Winter's observatory," he informed her quickly, recounting the events with precision. "She would not believe me that it would be of no interest until nightfall, but she finally relented when there were no stars to be seen through the glass, and instead she and Lalamon chose to play at the Dunk Tank to see how many times they could sink Agumon. I lost track of her then, quickly losing interest, but Taichi, Hikari and I went for a round on the Ferris wheel, despite my disinterest in that as well. And Miyako and Daisuke unfortunately roped me into a quick game of laser tag that I promptly lost." He took a deep breath and sighed as Mimi giggled. "Iori, Ken and I had some tea at my mother's shop as well. It was quite relaxing."

"That's where he found us!" Biyomon exclaimed. "We were hanging out with Jou and Momoe and Emiko and Renjiro and Gomamon and Bearmon and Monmon and MarineAngemon and Chiziru and Masa and Dansei and Mantarou—"

"I think they get it," I said, gently placing a hand on Biyomon's wing.

"Wait you were with Mantarou?" Mimi gasped. "And Iruka, right?"

"Of course, Mimi," I rolled my eyes. "We're adults. We aren't going to hold grudges against one another forever, that doesn't make sense. We have both moved on and we handled the situation with a respectable amount of maturity."

"Really?" Biyomon asked. "Is that why you didn't talk to him even once?" I felt my face go red as I sank further into my seat and Mimi laughed again as Biyomon explained what we had been up to during the day. "Willis and Michael and Tatum and us went for a walk around the outer wall. Betamon and Terriermon and Lopmon were all playing in the games tent, but I wanted to be with Sora. And we even saw Mari laughing! She was playing a game with Hideto and it was so funny to watch because Mari doesn't laugh often. I mean, what is there to laugh about when your family disowns you, your grandmother dies, your partner dies, your friends abandon you, a scary boy stalks you—"

"Again, they get it," I assured Biyomon.

"Right," Biyomon nodded. "Well we had a lot of fun!"

"Everyone seems to be having so much fun!" Mimi said, and I sensed more than just a hint of jealousy in her voice as she looked back to the restaurant that had taken up so much of her time. "I wonder if anyone would notice if I just disappeared." Koushiro hung his head, but Mimi had some plans. I tuned them out immediately though because I caught sight of a particular blonde boy walking past the fenced in area.

Patamon was seated on his head and he seemed to have not noticed us. I was pleased to see him smiling today.

 _"Where did Takeru go?" I asked Yamato who reached out to the television remote to pause the movie, but I shook my head. "It's fine. I'll be right back." With one glance toward Gabumon, Biyomon, Gatomon and Patamon all sleeping around Hikari's slumbering form I patted Yamato on the head and was soon in the kitchen, sifting through some of the snacks we had set aside for the night, but instead I heard a soft sound coming from the back._

 _I slipped through the hallway and saw that the back door was propped open slightly and the yard light was on. I followed the sound and looked opened the door to find Takeru leaning against the railing of the porch. He turned at the sound and then sharply turned from me, wiping at his eyes._

 _He was crying._

 _"Takeru?" I asked quietly. "Are you okay?"_

 _He nodded. "I'm fine," he said in a thick and heavy voice. I slowly moved to his side and said nothing, staring out to the faded and scattered stars. The sky in Japan was never as nice as the one in the Digital World because of the light pollution, but stars were stars nonetheless. I knew Takeru and I hadn't spoken much in the last while, but that didn't mean I still didn't know him forward and backward. There was after all a time where I was the one he chose to remain in contact with while travelling the globe. We had been close before, and we could get there again. Especially now that I was dating his brother. Officially._

 _"It's just..." Takeru said, attempting to explain his feelings as I knew he eventually would. He reached up to his head for Patamon but when he didn't feel him there he simply scratched at his hair, pretending that had been his intention all along. "I think we took it all for granted." He took a deep and shaky breath, holding his head back and then he breathed a soft sort of laugh. "We had it all, Sora. We were the heroes, and I know that's not why we were doing it, but that's not us anymore." I took his hand gently and nodded. I understood. "Everyone needed us. It felt_ good _, Sora. I'm not saying I want it back—because so many people were hurt or killed because we weren't fast enough... but... it's like we were fired from the best job ever... only we were Digidestined. It was our destiny. We were fired from our_ lives _. We're not needed anymore."_

 _"That's not true," I insisted, squeezing his hand. "You—me—Hikari—_ all _of us will always be needed."_

 _"Not in the same way." Takeru breathed softly. "What is the point of our lives, if we've already accomplished our destiny?"_

 _"Willis' destiny was to die," I reminded him. "Mari, Hideto, Kiyoko and maybe Kurayami too. We choose our own destinies now, Takeru. We get to live in a world where each step is planned by_ us _and not Gennai. As wonderful as he was, we finally get to choose our own moves. We can help as many people as we want still. We can dedicate our lives to others, or we can live the most relaxing life ever. It's finally up to us."_

 _"We were on the top of the world," Takeru said, shaking off my words. "We were above everything, and it's just such a long way down. I think it will take me some time to come from the high."_

 _"So what now?" I asked him._

 _"Something else," he shrugged._

 _"Maybe something better," I tried._

 _He shook his head. "I just don't see how that's possible," he admitted._

 _And then with a thud the door behind us had been flung open again and Yamato was hissing at us, "Guys the best part is coming up!" He was grinning like a fool and motioning for us to follow him. I looked to Takeru who was already wiping his tears again, and plastering a smile on his face before turning to face his brother. "That's right, inside. Both of you—come on!" Takeru laughed as Yamato clapped him on the back. I took his hand and let him lead me to the movie once more._

I shook the memory away when Takeru finally caught sight of us and his face broke out into a giant grin. "There you are!" he exclaimed, rushing forward, and leaning against the metal fence. "Yamato's about to go on! You're late, Sora."

I checked my phone quickly and saw the time and my heart dropped. "Oh crap!"

"It's fine," Takeru laughed. "It's not that big a deal." He then paused. "But hurry."

I nodded, gathering my papers as Biyomon quickly said her goodbyes.

"Come over tonight or whenever and I'll make sure that nothing could possibly go wrong at the fashion show," Koushiro promised. "We'll get your dream to come true no matter how much the universe is fighting against you."

"I thought the universe _wasn't_ fighting me?" I said, raising an eyebrow for humour, but Koushiro seemed to take it quite seriously.

"I just mean—that's true, and then—"

"I get it," I assured him, dropping my folder into my bag.

"Yamato isn't singing his newest song, is he?" Mimi asked skeptically.

Takeru and I shared a look. "Uhhh..."

 _"Sora," Yamato whispered as his band prepared themselves to show us their newest tune. "I need you to just sit through it all, okay? Believe me, I know what it sounds like, but Katsue hasn't been the same since her mom came around, and we need to snap her out of this."_

 _"I trust you," I told him, kissing his cheek before he ran off to join his band._

 _The bass was followed by the catchiest guitar riff that I had ever heard, and soon the drums and keyboard were joining in an upbeat song with a glamorous dancey rock tempo. Takeru, Mimi, Hikari and I were all practically dancing in our seats as Katsue pretended she didn't enjoy it at all. Amai was already on her feet, spinning around dancing in a way only she could._

 _And then Yamato started to sing._

 _"She said the stars would align, I thought our constellation was right,  
I guess I missed every sign, I guess I missed the way we fight,  
I thought there was a way, and I knew just what to say  
But she left me to cry, she said I deserved the angel in the sky. _

_But I never woulda guessed, never could have known the tru-u-uth  
Never coulda known she and I had the same sweet too-oo-ooth  
She shoulda let me know, in the dark she was a sleuth-eu-euth"_

 _Takeru, Hikari, Mimi and I shared a look, but Katsue had leaned forward in her seat staring toward the band with a look that could only be described as murderous. Amai on the other hand was enjoying the song thoroughly, still dancing and spinning around with Monimon and Demidevimon joining her now._

 _"I moved on one evening, when I saw her on the train,  
I knew I was done my grieving, and I saw her in the rain,  
I let the way she moved me, be the guiding light I see,  
I let her appealing art shoot me through the heart._

 _She was everything—everything from demons to cu-u-pid  
She was a genius, and I was so blind I was stu-u-upid  
She was always in her own universe I felt insip-i-id"_

 _All of our eyes turned to Amai who was blissfully ignorant that Yamato had just blatantly inserted her into his song. Katsue was nearly on her feet now, ready to stop the song but Mimi grabbed her and pulled her back, interested to see how the song was to end._

 _"I can't believe I didn't see it coming  
I can't believe that I couldn't see.  
I can't believe they did it, but I loved it in the end._

 _I believe they directed the art of their own love  
I believe they overcame what held them back  
And I believe that my bitter ex girlfriend ended up with my new girlfriend who was very, very nice and I didn't even know that they liked each other!_

 _But I never woulda guessed, never could have known the tru-u-uth  
Never coulda known she and I had the same sweet too-oo-ooth  
She shoulda let me know, in the dark she was a sleuth-eu-euth_

 _She was everything—everything from demons to cu-u-pid  
She was a genius, and I was so blind I was stu-u-upid  
She was always in her own universe I felt insip-i-id."_

 _Yamato was beaming at the end, looking to each of us in turn, waiting for our opinions, but obviously none of us knew exactly what to say, so as one we looked back to Katsue who cleared her throat and finally stood slowly._

 _"Okay Rockstar, here's how this is going to work," she said, cracking her knuckles, startling Akira into jumping toward Takashi. "You and your band of misfits are going to move your scrawny butts back to the drawing board and create a song that is not based on your own personal failure in losing the two hottest babes who ever looked your way—" She turned to me. "Sorry, I'm making a point."_

 _"Continue," I said, holding my hands up, unsure what else I_ could _say._

 _"And just so we're clear, the reason I broke up with you isn't because I was attracted to women more than you—because that's not necessarily true, bisexual as I am. I broke up with you because I'm reasonably sure you're a pimply and obese thirteen year old female koala bear trapped inside an adult man's body. I grew weary of the repetitive cookie cutter songs about your angel in the sky, and to be honest I'm pretty sure the entire world did too. I mean you do realize you were in love with the same girl since you were like, what, twelve? Thirteen? I had to lie to the cops at least a dozen times when they came to me with a wanted poster with your name on it because several people had called in to them claiming that they knew of a rather persistent and obsessive stalker who just_ had _to have Neo Saiba's fiancé. I fell into the trap for a while, I'll admit, but I woke up one day covered in a cold sweat and I thought to myself '_ what am I doing?' _Am I really dating a neurotic band geek who knows only two hairstyles—90s punk and 12 year old bed head? Am I really dating someone who, after his roommate of three years moved out, dedicated his newly empty bedroom to his bizarre fetish of leather clothing? Did I really agree to move in with someone who celebrates his half_ and _quarter birthday just because he feels he didn't get enough attention as a child? Am I actually dating a sappier,_ more _feminine Taylor Swift? I often wondered aloud, is the man I refer to as 'boyfriend' actually living the dream of being a rock star-astronaut, and what does that even_ mean _?_ _I thought to myself, is my boyfriend pushing aside all of his reasonably normal friends in order to hang out with Lumps the Clown, Mashed Potato Pants and the abominable gummy bear AKA RuPaul's 2016 drag race champion on the lead guitar over there?" Akira gasped, but Takashi and Yutaka just laughed at him. "And am I imagining this, or does my boyfriend greet_ every _new person with the same three words, 'no autographs please'? It was then that I knew that I could not allow this to go on. Myself, an ace reporter, could not be in a relationship with a floppy, sweat-smelling, overbearing, leather obsessed, self proclaimed bad boy who can't even tell the difference between his own partner and one that hardly even looks like him. When I escaped that night I went to bed thanking my lucky stars that I had escaped Yamato Ishida's dollhouse for the damned, and finally I was able to rest at ease knowing that I would not have to wipe week old bread crumbs from my lower back after getting out of your stinky bed, and I prayed to God I would never have to listen to that gut wrenching sound of your grinding molars, and I knew in my heart that I was finally free from the out of tune whale song that was Akira's vocal warm-ups. And yet,_ here _I am once again, standing before the lot of you, knowing full well that I could leave and not have to listen to your mildly offensive and entirely self obsessed song where the relationship between two women is all about_ you _because for some reason you can't accept that not everything has to do with you, as is the case with all straight men who view a lesbian relationship. Our relationship is not validated by the lack of a man. It is validated by the two women involved, and quite honestly I think all of you are morons. Also you're stupid."_

 _There was a rather uncomfortably long silence that was broken by Yutaka cracking up in laughter as he ran from his keyboard, all the way over to where Katsue stood and he embraced her tightly. "She's back!"_

 _Yamato winked at me and all I could do was roll my eyes._

"I doubt it..." Takeru and I responded to Mimi as honestly as we could.

Koushiro and Tentomon agreed to stay behind with Mimi who was obviously still wildly jealous that everybody else was able to explore and fully enjoy the festivities, but Takeru, Patamon, Biyomon and I all made our way to the crowd that was waiting around the sound stage where the Teenage Wolves would be performing momentarily.

We searched for someone we knew, and we spotted Ken but he was hiding behind a shrub, obviously hoping no one spotted him giving in to his own obsession with the band itself. There was someone who was much more open about their Teenage Wolves love though and he was standing not too far away.

When we approached Hideto, Biyomon ran ahead to join Warg and Melga, and Hideto looked to her, then to us. I smiled to him, seeing the big eager grin on his face, but my heart sank, realizing who we were looking to.

"What's so funny?" I asked confused. Hideto shrugged as we came closer.

"No seriously," Takeru said, elbowing him. "Why are you so happy...?" Takeru and I shared a knowing look and we both sighed and turned to him. "What did you do?"

"Who broke up?" I was ashamed by the amount of excitement in my voice, but Hideto just laughed and shook his head.

"No one!" he insisted. "I just got done another shift of work, and it's weirdly satisfying seeing people smile. I promise I'll deny that if you ever tell anyone though."

Another shift at work? His new position was to pair people up with their other halves. He knew people and digimon better than anyone and he could pair them up like our own little cupid. So that just left one question. "Who got a partner?"

Our question was answered a moment later as he pointed to the stage where the curtains were being thrown back.

Yamato was back to back with WereGarurumon in the front and center while Yutaka and his new partner, an Etemon were laughing with one another playing the keyboard. Akira and his SuperStarmon were jamming on the guitar, and finally Takashi and his Volcamon were on the drums.

Takeru and I smiled to one another before the sound truly engulfed us, and we both elbowed Hideto to thank him for his work, but we were all torn away from reality by the music soon after. The concert was packed with their most upbeat songs and catchiest tunes, and while it was running a bit less steady than normal with their new additions, it was still fun and exciting. The entire crowd was getting into the mini concert and then Yamato told us that before the final song he had to sing his favourite.

My face went bright read as he began to play the bass notes for 'Angel in the Sky'.

When the song was over—which seemed like a million years with the way I found myself lost in Yamato's eyes and the embarrassment that came with it, I heard Hideto talking to Takeru.

"That wasn't as horrible as I remember it being," he had said. "Less depressing, I guess."

That was fair, and I couldn't help but smile after. Yamato then played their latest hit and everyone was dancing—the crowd seemed to multiply for the final song and at the end all that could be heard were roaring cheers and the clapping of hundreds of sets of hands.

Takeru grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Hideto who agreed to look after Biyomon and Patamon for us, and he pushed his way through the crowd until he was near the stage which he followed along to the side door where Yamato's body guard—Leomon—was standing. "Excuse me," Takeru said, and Leomon politely stepped aside.

In the back the Teenage Wolves appeared to be experiencing the same adrenaline the crowd had accumulated. Akira, SuperStarmon and Volcamon were jumping off the walls while Yutaka and Etemon were still singing the chorus of the last song loudly to one another in the absolute most dramatic way possible. And Takashi was actually hydrating himself like an intelligent person would after all of that.

Gabumon was slumped against the wall looking rather tired, and Takeru decided to sit with him, pointing me out the back door to where Yamato obviously was.

I looked out and saw him standing with his back to me, looking up to the orange and pink clouds that were painted from the setting sun.

"I was disappointed by the lack of 'Katsai's Theme' in the concert," I said, sneaking up behind him, and wrapping my arms around his middle. He snorted and pulled me around to his side. "I was really looking forward to hearing Katsue's speech again."

"She's amazing," Yamato grinned. "But I only want to sing about you."

"You're boring," I joked, still hugging him. "But very talented."

"So they say," he grinned.

I pulled away and punched his arm lightly. "So do you want to come see if we can convince Taichi to take Agumon's place in the Dunk Tank?"

He looked immediately excited but then shook his head. "I promised Hikari I'd go to Taichi's house to pick up some thinks for her headache. She's pregnant you know." I nodded. Of course I knew that already. Who did he think I was? Willis? Koushiro?

"Well I don't mind romantic walks, you know," I hinted.

"Oh I won't be walking," he said, gesturing toward his lonely motorcycle.

"Oh I'll wait here then," I said, smiling kindly. "Wait—why do you have a motorcycle _here_?"

"For you, actually," he said, moving toward it.

All I knew was laughter for a moment before catching a glimpse of his face and seeing just how serious he really was. "But I don't have a helmet!"

He reached down and picked up two gleaming helmets, one blue and one red. "Come on Sora. I really want this. Relationships are about compromise."

"Oh ha ha," I said sarcastically, feeling myself tensing up.

"And _you're_ the spontaneous one," he said sighing. "I guess I'll go alone." He cast the red helmet aside and pulled the blue one over his head, climbing aboard his bike.

I groaned one last time and decided it was time to face my fear, racing after the red helmet and pulling it tightly over my head and then climbing on the back of his bike. "Just this once," I told him as he started the engine. "And then we'll have a serious talk about your casual peer pressure." He laughed and then we were off.

 ** _Jou Kido:_**

"A bug!" Renjiro declared loudly as he pointed into the kitchen sink. MarineAngemon was quick to fly off toward him to join him in his discovery and together they stared down to where the beetle surely was attempting to crawl out of the metallic basin.

Emiko seemed unimpressed with how enthusiastic her two year old brother became every time he saw something as simple as an insect and she rolled her eyes as she mopped up the milk that spilled from her cereal bowl with the sleeve of her sweater. Momoe said nothing, because we knew it was a waste of time to try to explain to Emiko why using a napkin or a towel to clean the mess was a better option. She simply didn't care about her clothing being ruined.

"Back to school on Monday," Momoe reminded Emiko who groaned loudly in that way she had gotten in the habit of doing. "I want you to pack your school bag tonight before bed and go over all of your homework once more."

"That's so lame," Emiko pouted, crossing her arms and leaning back into the dining room chair. "If I didn't know the answer the first time, why would I know it the second time?"

"I just want you to give it one last glance," Momoe was reasoning.

"Okay," Emiko said, closing her eyes tightly. "Done."

"No, Emiko, I mea—" Momoe began.

"I glanced at it in my mind," Emiko responded. "I got most of them wrong, but I think I got some right. You're welcome."

"If you know you got them wrong then I'd like you do redo them until you think you might have them correct," Momoe said with a calm voice. "It's either that or your whoopee cushion collection is going in the garbage."

Emiko let her eyes fall to a glare that followed her mother toward the sink where she pulled Renjiro off the counter and into her arms, saving the bug from his struggles. "Okay but a farting garbage can sounds kind of funny," Emiko was trying to reason with herself, deciding whether or not her collection was worth doing more holiday homework.

Monmon was seated next to Gomamon, loudly slurping his own cereal down while Gomamon tried to remain dignified as he—almost as noisily—ate his scrambled eggs. Of course he added some hot sauce because no one could be satisfied with just salt and pepper on their eggs for some reason—everyone I knew was insane. Bearmon was eyeing up Emiko cautiously as he knew it would be his job later in the day to clean her up because both Momoe and I were busy with work nearly every day. I was already making a mental note to get home early today to take care of Emiko and give Bearmon the night off, but today my schedule was not created by me, but by Summer.

She had called each of the Digidestined individually—I knew because I had actually been with Mimi when I had received the phone call and Mimi had to insist to Summer that she did in fact already know what she was trying to tell her and she would happily go along with her plans and that she really needn't reiterate the exact conversation Mimi had just eavesdropped upon. Summer wanted us to meet up with her in the Digital World because she had serious news to address now that the war had truly had time to settle down. Of course I was not sure what she wanted from us all, but I would soon find out.

The doorbell rang and Gomamon was the most eager to leave the table, desperate to get away from both Emiko and Monmon—and unfortunately I didn't blame him—so he was gone in an instant, rushing from the dining room and toward the front door.

The moment I heard the door pull open I knew who had come to visit. It was impossible not to, because she was perhaps the loudest person I knew—and no, it was not Mimi. "Jun!" Gomamon exclaimed happily, inviting her in. "We're all just eating breakfast, maybe if you come in the more disgusting part of the family will show their manners for company."

"Not likely," Emiko snorted, but it seemed even Momoe had not heard her.

Jun, Otamamon and Shuu were walking into the kitchen, each of them smiling brightly. Momoe rushed over and hugged Jun, intentionally squeezing Renjiro between the two of them. "Mama!" he exclaimed, "you killin' me!" Jun giggled and pulled Renjiro from Momoe, spinning him around. He was laughing up a storm. Jun really knew how to handle him.

I loved Renjiro, and I loved Emiko, but they were complete opposites, so switching between parenting styles sometimes caught me off guard. Renjiro needed a calm and guiding tone to answer all of his inquisitive questions, while Emiko just needed someone to argue with every now and then.

Shuu pulled Renjiro from Jun and she pouted, losing her nephew to her husband, but she didn't seem to mind because she had news it seemed. As she took a breath to speak though, Emiko interrupted her.

"You're like, fat."

Everyone gasped—except Renjiro who did sneeze though.

"Emiko!" I scolded sharply.

"That's so rude," Jun mumbled, "definitely true, but still so rude."

Momoe was so in shock she couldn't speak, but she tried to shake off her foul-mouthed daughter and turn her attention back to her best friend. "What brings you here so early? I thought you were going to visit your parents?"

"Dad has the flu," Jun shrugged it off, "and I don't think being sick is necessary for me right now because I've already got a big problem."

"Jun, that's a terrible way to word that," Shuu grumbled.

"That's very true," Jun declared, "but I shall roll with it nonetheless! Guys I'm pregnant!"

Momoe squealed her excitement loudly and lunged toward her friend, embracing her tightly as Jun practically screamed her joy and exhilaration to the heavens, hoping all of our lost allies could also join in her mini celebration. Despite the ringing in my ears, I did however feel utmost joy at the news. I mean, surely their child would be just as loud—or even louder—than Jun herself, but I was thrilled at the news that Emiko and Renjiro would be receiving a cousin—and that _I_ would have a nephew (or niece)!

Of course I already had Masa, and even Mai—who was obviously not my nephew—but they were both on Momoe's side. Finally my side of the family was spreading the family tree as well. Soon Mantarou and Iruka would surely have a family of their own since their wedding was in only a few weeks, and Chiziru was eager to have more children as well. I was sure Shin and Tafu were on the road to children and even though I didn't think their relationships were too serious, Cho, Eri and Kazue were dating the Teenage Wolves now, so that could easily go somewhere special too. And, of course, Miyako was _currently_ pregnant, so soon enough the family would be bigger than we'd know what to do with. And I would have many more birthday's to remember.

"Congratulations," I said, grinning toward my brother who looked more nervous than excited, but Jun made it up for the both of them. "Do you have any plans yet?"

Shuu stared at me like I was insane. "I found out about this a month and a half ago," he said in a trance, "I still have not accepted it is happening. No, I have no plans. My plans for today are to drop Jun off here and go fishing or something."

"Yeah, bite me," Gomamon hissed.

"That's the idea," Shuu tried to joke. Gomamon gasped dramatically and turned away from Shuu.

"Maybe I'll just go to a museum somewhere," he compromised. "I just want to go somewhere I can relax. Do you want to come?"

"Ah," I said, sending him an apology through a simple glance. He immediately understood and nodded his head. "Sorry, it's supposedly important Digidestined business."

Shuu nodded his head. "That's fair. You're a superhero. You do what you have to do." I hated it when he called me a superhero but he had been doing it for far too long. I knew I should have just gotten used to it by now but there was no way I could ever identify with a title like that. He had surprisingly not taken up the habit during my stretch of time as a Digidestined, literally fighting to save lives, but rather when Willis and I had finally perfected our modified virus.

It felt fitting that Arnold's tool of death was now ready to be used to literally do the opposite. It was the only way to feel good about the situation at all—not that we needed to. So many had died, and that still churned my stomach to think about. But I did appreciate that Shuu understood that fighting was never my forte—nor was it something I felt good about doing. I did however love helping people in the ways I knew how, and this virus _was_ that way.

So in a way, I _did_ appreciate the _reason_ he called me a superhero, even if I would always shy away from the title.

"We should actually get going soon," Gomamon decided, looking up to the clock above the kitchen sink. "We'll be late."

"It's not like there's any travel time," I responded, but he was still right. I quickly folded the newspaper and set it beside my half eaten breakfast, and prepared myself to leave. When I came back to kiss Momoe goodbye I found that she was so deep into conversation with Jun that she barely noticed me. I understood, so I simply pat her head to say goodbye and she laughed at me, squeezing my hand gently. Shuu was sitting on a stool, staring blankly at a wall while Otamamon talked to him animatedly, trying to cheer him up.

As I let Gomamon lead the way to the portal we passed Renjiro who screamed out the sliding door. "A BUG!" A moment later a Roachmon was pressed against the glass, sticking his tongue out to the boy who fell back and screamed, immediately crying. The Roachmon seemed apologetic and quickly ran off to not scare him any further.

I figured I'd let Shuu get some parenting lessons out of this one, and when I heard Emiko declare, "If you're only two months pregnant, then not all of that fat is the baby, right?" I knew it was time to leave. Gomamon was on the same page and he practically threw me through the portal. We appeared in the meadow. That horrible meadow where Meiyomon had once played with us as if we were pawns in his game of chess—the one we couldn't seem to get away from in the end.

Fanglongmon was here, and so were the four Sovereign. Azulongmon, Zhuqiaomon, Ebonwumon and Baihumon were all standing—or floating—majestically in a ring, and I knew the others would all gather in the center of the meadow. As I turned the corner I found a group had already begun.

Spring and Summer were both here, but I noticed a distinct lack of Bitoru or Yume. Though it seemed reasonable to leave _someone_ in charge of their kingdom with how often they left to simply pay us all visits. Taichi and Agumon were sitting with Sora and Yamato on a big rock by the cave entrance while Gabumon and Biyomon sat at their feet. Daisuke and Kurayami were enjoying their freedom from Haruki—not that parents should call it 'freedom' to be away from their child but sometimes it was so hard not to—and I was sure Norn was watching him for the day. Veemon and Labramon had joined their old friend Patamon in a circle in the grass nearby. Iori and Mari looked 'too cool' as they leaned against the opening of the cave and spoke in hushed tones while Armadillomon was chased through the flowers by Palmon and Lalamon. Kiyoko was desperately trying to get Neo to join him, seated in the grass but Neo was simply disgusted by the thought. Betamon and Tapirmon were sitting with Kiyoko, happily eating the treats he brought along. Dracomon was with Koushiro and Tentomon, asking them all kinds of ridiculous questions I was sure. Ken, who obviously couldn't find a babysitter for the day was working with Wormmon and Hawkmon to take care of Mai and Poromon who were both having the time of their lives, rolling around in the grass. Warg and Melga looked like they wanted to join, but Hideto was keeping them back, caging them between two rocks by stretching his leg out to block them in as he spoke with Michael in excited tones. Terriermon and Lopmon were arguing about something, as usual, and Willis was doing all he could to calm them. And of course Mimi was seated with Miyako, and both were clutching their stomachs as they spoke in quiet voices.

Gomamon instinctively ran toward Palmon, Lalamon and Armadillomon, and so I made my way toward the two pregnant women and found that, unsurprisingly they were talking about their pregnancies.

"It hurts like crazy," Miyako was saying and Mimi was smiling like an insane person. Miyako seemed nervous and unsure about what to say, and I knew why.

 _"It's so nice to talk to someone else who is going through the same thing," Mimi said, leaning back in her chair. She was three months pregnant at the time, while Hikari, who was sitting next to her was entering her third trimester._

 _"I'm happy to be here," Hikari smiled politely._

 _"Doesn't it just suck?" Mimi asked._

 _Hikari slowly shook her head. "No, not especially. I love that I'm helping my child grow and develop."_

 _"Sure, sure," Mimi agreed, "that's sweet and all that, but the_ pain _!" Hikari looked confused. "Every time I sit down it's like someone stabbed every part of my back!"_

 _"Oh that's horrible!" Hikari gasped._

 _"You don't feel that way?" Mimi asked. Hikari shook her head. "Well that's lucky! I'm also not a big fan of the boils and rashes all over my stomach. I got them checked out. They're all fine, but seriously disgusting and super painful."_

 _"Is that normal?" Hikari asked, rubbing her own belly, pulling her shirt back to reveal her smooth and perfect pregnancy bump._

 _"Oh you're beautiful," Mimi said, leaning forward to get a better look without feeling any shame. "That sucks." She looked up to Hikari. "I mean—that—uh—never mind." She looked back and then her face fell. "You don't have stretch marks." Hikari smiled and shook her head. "I_ already _do! And I keep_ peeing _my pants!"_

 _"That's... I'm so sorry," Hikari said, clasping a hand over her mouth._

 _Mimi was obviously appalled that Hikari did not experience any of these and she crossed her arms—and sort of looked like an angry penguin. "Do you sleep well?" Hikari nodded. "I don't, my baby is trying to kill me." She thought for a moment. "Do you have weirdo dreams?" Hikari shook her head. "I do. It sucks and it's weird and I just want to wipe my mind clean and start again. And I cry every single day because the pain is just killer! And if I'm being honest, crying makes me pee a little more."_

 _Hikari gently comforted Mimi, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Have you gone for some counselling?"_

 _Mimi's eye twitched and she calmly brushed Hikari's hand off of her shoulder before turning on her friend. "Hikari, you're making me miserable." That was the last calm thing that came out of Mimi's mouth that day. "Just because you have a baby angel inside you doesn't mean we all have! My baby is so annoying and pushy and keeps attacking my insides! I think I'll have internal bruising until I'm ninety—not that I'll ever age. My stomach seeped so much pus yesterday that I had to change my top_ twice! _And my doctor says I have to apply my ointment three times a day but it smells like poop!_ POOP _, Hikari! And my morning sickness was like the great flood every few hours and once I threw up an earring and I don't even remember eating it! We're not friends until my demon baby is out of my body because_ this _," she pointed between herself and Hikari a few times before openly sobbing, "is so_ sad _!" She tried to get up four times before her sobbing suddenly sounded painful and Taichi and Takeru both helped her to her feet before she promptly waddled away._

"I'm so glad you're in pain," Mimi said in a sweet voice, rubbing Miyako's back.

"Thank... you?" Miyako said in a voice filled with only confusion.

It was that moment that Hikari, Takeru and Gatomon chose to join the group, finally finishing us all off. Hikari held a baby in her arms and Taichi was immediately flying across the open field, dodging the playing digimon to get a hold of his nephew, Tenshi. He had been alive only a week or two, and was still too young to stay at home alone. I knew that Patamon and Gatomon took turns sleeping at Daisuke and Kurayami's house to get a night away from all the baby drama.

"I am glad you all could make the trip," Summer said, seemingly projecting her voice somehow, as well as conveying the seriousness enough to bring all the digimon to a complete stop. "You have all done many wonderful things to help the worlds recover from the mess our mother caused, but I hope you are not too comfortable with the way the worlds have come to know one another."

"We are here to bring you some bad news," Spring said, stepping up to join her sister. "We have spoken with the rulers of each world and we all agree it's the best choice."

"Just for future reference," Hideto said. "Who exactly _is_ the ruler of Earth?" He was ignored.

"I know you will not all like the choices we have made, but they are for the better," Spring said softly.

"I don't like where this is headed," Taichi groaned, looking down to the baby in his arms. If they were about to lock us out of the Digital World again, his decision would be so much harder now that he had Tenshi in his life.

Spring and Summer did not speak next to break the silence, but instead the booming voice of Fanglongmon filled the gaps. Kurayami jumped in surprise. I wasn't sure she'd ever get over having another Fanglongmon around. "The balance you are all experiencing will finally be eternal. But before that can truly come to fruition, we must separate the Digital World and Earth as much as possible."

"Oh _hell_ to the no," Mimi barked loudly and wildly out of character. "There's no way you're pulling this on us now Jerknai 2.0!" Mimi looked to Miyako, then to me and finally to Koushiro, expecting laughter, but none came and she chose to pout again.

"Oh heavens no," Summer said, rushing forward, to embrace Armadillomon who was nearby. "We would never do such a terrible and cruel thing to you. After you worked so hard to create this balance, we would never break it in that way."

"Then what exactly _are_ you talking about?" Gomamon asked still sounding worried.

"Until the final Great Evil is destroyed, the peace will be shaky and unbalanced," Spring told us in a sad voice. "Until the day comes that Ryou takes down this evil in his own home time, we do think it's best if everyone on Earth who does not have a partner digimon of their own loses a piece of their memory."

"You want Earth to forget digimon," Takeru realized, nodding his head slowly. "I guess that makes sense."

"Does it?" Daisuke asked sharply. "I think that's a load of crap! They won't know what we did for them! And they won't know the stupid choices they made! They'll all turn back into the monsters they were a few years ago!"

"That will not be the case," Summer explained. "The love they feel for digimon will renew in full when their memories return to them in eight years time. We have of course done this before, but the wait was too long and those who could have remembered the digimon are now long gone. This time, with only eight years to wait, the feelings and memories will return." She looked to her sister with a smile. "We will make sure of that." Spring reached out and took her sister's hand and smiled back brightly.

"Jerklongmon!" Mimi muttered randomly. "I should have called him Jerklongmon!"

"You will all be able to do as you do now," Spring told us all. "And you will be able to live as you have been. This spell we will place will not affect you lot, or your families and close friends."

"What about the digimon of this world?" Palmon asked. "Will you erase people from their minds?"

"There is no need," Summer said kindly.

"And what about the digimon on Earth?" Gatomon asked. "Will people see them through the fog again? Will they be able to understand what they are seeing?"

"I am afraid not," Spring explained with a sad expression.

"I think that's amazing," Terriermon said. "We can pull pranks on people."

"Terriermon," Lopmon scolded, but Melga was agreeing whole heartedly with Terriermon and Warg was warming to the idea already too.

"And what about Keiko?" Ken asked, pulling his daughter from the ground and into his arms. "She no longer has a partner? What will happen to her?"

"It is for the best that she forget the digimon for the time being," Summer said sadly.

"And Impmon?" Iori asked, moving from the mouth of the cave to join the general crowd. "Noriko is gone, and her family—Tomotsu... they won't remember him, will they?" Summer and Spring exchanged sad looks and without responding we all knew the truth. I knew Iori would try to find him to make sure he had someone there for him, and Hikari too if she had any say in the matter.

"Just so we're clear," Hideto declared, "I'm keeping my job, I'm still going to pair people with digimon. They'll have partners and they'll remember the truth. I'm going to do everything to fight against your spell."

Summer smiled. "That sounds fair."

"Not really," Hideto said, "I'm mostly doing this because I think you're being stupid."

And with that, the shock of the meeting seemed to be over. Everyone got to share their opinion of the matter in the end. Some understood—I was one of them, but I was less vocal than others, like Taichi or Gabumon—while others entirely disagreed like Hideto, Willis, and even Koushiro. It wasn't a regular argument and in a way it still felt rather hopeful and final. But that didn't stop me from feeling sad. The digimon's memory was going to fall apart for so long. Eight years felt like forever when I thought about my life. Renjiro would be ten, almost eleven. Emiko would be turning eighteen. They would be so grown up and that meant they would have to learn to keep their partners a secret. I knew Renjiro would adapt well, but there was no way Emiko was going to stop bringing Monmon with her everywhere she went... I only wished she could just have _one_ friend that would understand the truth about digimon along with her. I may just have to hire Hideto to get one of her friends a partner. If she had any friends.

"What about Katsue's movie?" Sora asked as everyone was gearing up, getting ready to leave. "What about Takeru's books? What about all the pictures and documentation of what we and the digimon have accomplished? What will happen to them?" Takeru suddenly looked worried that his own career was about to fall apart, but Summer and Spring simply shrugged.

"They will be viewed as fiction until the spell is broken." Spring told us all.

I didn't bother saying goodbye to anyone. I didn't even know how much longer we had until the spell was broken. Everyone was on their way home too, so I didn't feel alone. Gomamon wouldn't admit it, but he wanted to be held, and so I carried him, ignoring his half hearted pleas for me to put him down. He eventually stopped as we made our way to the nearest monitor and then we were back in our living room, looking around at the mess that only Emiko could have caused.

But I heard her laughter and turned sharply to see her lying on the floor on her stomach colouring with Monmon, Bearmon, Kotemon and—a boy. I recognized him from her class. Azura, was his name, and sitting on the floor between he and Kotemon was... a digivice.

I looked down to Gomamon who simply shrugged and then I made my way back to the kitchen where Otamamon and MarineAngemon were playing with Renjiro. Jun was sitting at the counter with Momoe, but both looked up to me as I walked in the door.

Momoe instantly read my face and she looked worried. "What's wrong?"

 ** _Takeru Takaishi:_**

Waiting for peace was exhausting and was much more challenging and difficult than fighting for peace had been. Of course that was pretty self-explanatory. Fighting for peace was wrong in a way, but there was no other solution to the problems. Sometimes violence really was the answer.

Of course when I'd said that to Hikari she had a perfect reply. _"There is a difference between murder and killing. There is a difference between fighting and war. When we were young we fought inner demons and those soon took shape around us. We fought for our friends, for our families and for ourselves. That kind of fighting is not categorized by violence. We were never violent. We were only protecting what we believed in, and I don't think there was anything wrong with that."_

So we fought, but weren't violent. I wasn't sure I could ever fully get behind the idea of that, but I would do all that I could to reinforce her words in my mind, again and again. But it was hard when I had to watch and see there was nothing I could do to change the world. At least not in the way I most wanted to. I couldn't fight for what I believed in because there was no one fighting against it—and while that should have been a positive change, I just couldn't view it that way. We hadn't won the argument, it had just been covered up and now no one knew it was going on.

The little things hurt the most. Seeing that Patamon's favourite barista had forgotten about him and wondered why I was ordering two extra sweet mocha lattes was something that hit hard for me. It meant that people were already losing their memories of the digimon that had saved their lives. I was sadder for Patamon than anything else, but at least he still got his drink in the end. Seeing RISE posters plastered over with images of upcoming movies felt like a kick in the gut because people really thought they were fictional. RISE itself had lost a lot of supporters because many of them had simply been showing support for digimon while not actually having a partner of their own.

There was a conspiracy about Omnimon showing up on the web over a decade before any digimon appeared in mainstream media, and I had to answer a whole slew of questions about it. Summer was on constant clean-up duty in areas such as those because she may have had the power to delete people's memories, but things on the internet were there forever.

And in a way, that was what got me through it all. It didn't matter if people forgot what we had done. They were safe and at the end of the day we _had_ done all of those things. I _had_ mastered my Crest, and I _had_ fought off the Dark Masters, and the Myotismon, and the Sovereign and even the Demon Lords. I _had_ slain a massive volcanic dragon with a sword to save the girl I loved, and I _had_ worked in harmony with Patamon to achieve a Super Ultimate level to help defeat the greatest evil of all, Apocalymon—for like, the third time. And all of our digimon really _did_ evolve together to become Forsettimon. It didn't matter if no one else believed me, because I knew it had happened.

I had lost much of the excitement for writing my books though, because it was rather degrading that everyone thought they were only works of fiction. Of course it wasn't their fault, but there were many distinguished publishers or authors who—at fancy dinners—spoke to me in rather condescending ways because I was dabbling in fiction. And so what if I was? Fiction was amazing, how else would we entertain ourselves in our boring lives? I mean, I had a digimon that I could fly around on in the Digital World, but the people who couldn't grasp that had to live boring lives at boring desk jobs. They needed to come home at night and read about fairies and sorcerers.

It had only been six months since the spell had begun, but it felt like eight years already—which would be convenient of course, because that was the supposed duration of said enchantment. So much had happened. Sure we weren't finding ancient scripts with revelations that a new evil had reared its head—and if we had, my money would be on Myotismon again—but all kinds of exciting things were going on. Tenshi, a child I had helped produce which was still so crazy, was _crawling_. He was early, or so said Jou, and I couldn't help but smile every time he wobbled back and forth trying to make his way toward a toy or anything colourful.

Hikari was an amazing mother and a perfect wife. We had made down payments on a nice apartment, because unlike our luxurious friends, we had no desire or need for a large home. I was happy in a three bedroom apartment. It wasn't small—we had a living room, a kitchen, a dining room, an office and two bathrooms. It was amazing, and it was in Odaiba, which was even better. That's all I could ask for: to be _home_. Mom and Dad visited a lot, and so did Hikari's parents. Neither couple lived far away, and so Tenshi was turning out to be a bit spoiled, no matter how often we spoke to our parents about the matter. Last week Hikari's mother came in with _"Baby's first cello!"_ as if he could play it. We were grateful, and we were sure they were all just happy to have a grandchild. I wasn't sure Yamato or Taichi would ever get around to having kids.

Luckily Tenshi would have to share the spotlight soon though, because while Sora and Rei were both entirely un-pregnant, Hikari could not say the same. Four months into her second pregnancy and already Mom and Dad were buying things for the new baby.

 _"Just in case it wants to play sports with Grandpa," Dad said, setting a football into the corner of the Hikari's weight-room-turned-nursery. "It's a boy, right?"_

 _"No idea Dad," I assured him._

 _"And I thought maybe she would be into photography," Mom smiled, setting a camera onto one of the shelves, "like her mother."_

It felt bizarre to have them supplying my child with things that I could not. I didn't have a dream or a goal anymore, and while I had money saved from my book deal that I had cut short, we knew we would have to play it safe, and even that money was dwindling slowly. Hikari was the best though, and she and I worked together to try to find a new dream.

We weren't one of those disgusting couples that faded out of existence in the eyes of everyone else though. We made sure that at least once a week we each got to hang out with our friends. Just the other day we had left Tenshi with Hikari's parents and while she went out on a movie night with Iori and Natsuni, I took Patamon over to visit Veemon.

 _"It's amazing to have friends," Patamon exclaimed, leaping into Veemon's arms. Labramon followed them out to the back while Kurayami readied a board game that she wanted us to try._

 _Daisuke, Kurayami and I had spent the night laughing and eating snacks, and it was a lot of fun. Now, it wasn't packed with adrenaline or filled to the brim with excitement, but it was intimate, and calm. It was perfect and fun in its own way._

 _"I know what you mean," Daisuke was saying. "It really sucks to be so involved with the action for so long and then to have to sit back and wait. It's humbling in a way to know that we aren't the only ones who can save the day. And at the same time I feel proud. I feel proud because we didn't have to do it. Any one of us could have dropped out at any moment, but we_ didn't _. We're all..." he had picked up a card, as the game expected him to, "we're heroes... okay Kurayami you have to dance in the dark and we have to try to guess what movie you're acting out."_

 _"That should be fun," I grinned. Kurayami's face turned red as I reached behind me for the light switch. "You ready?"_

 _"I'm not afraid of the dark," she winked._

 _"Even after Apocalymon took over your body and possessed you for many years, seeing the world through your eyes and sharing every experience with you?" DemiVeemon asked loudly as Haruki stared blankly toward his mother._

 _"Yeah, well," Kurayami shrugged, "I try not to think about that."_

It was hard on her, but there was no doubt in my mind that she would recover and use the pain in her therapeutic practice. She and Daisuke were great friends. It was hard to believe that at one point in my life he and I were at ends because we both had a crush on the same girl. The girl who was now carrying my second child.

This pregnancy was going just as well as the first, and thankfully Mimi wasn't on the path to having her _own_ second child. I didn't want Hikari to have to feel guilty again, for not feeling pain. I understood Mimi's point of view of course, realizing that her pregnancy really did suck, but she got an amazing baby boy out of the mix.

 _"Hikari, someone's at the door," I called when I heard the knocking._

 _"I too can hear the sound," Hikari joked from the couch. She got to her feet and hurried to answer the frantic knocks and when she pulled the door open Mimi was standing with a big elaborate basket hung over her arm and with a baby boy cradled in a stroller in front of her. "Mimi!"_

 _"Hello!" Mimi said, her face a little red. "Makoto and I have come to say hello! And to give you this basket full of freshly baked treats." I heard a thump and I knew Patamon was on his way to check out the treats. Mostly I knew because I was also rushing toward the door. I did stop in my tracks when I saw Mimi's baby though because it was like he was a literal gift from the heavens. Probably the cutest baby I had seen in my entire life. "If you look at the card you'll see that this is entirely an apology."_

 _Hikari took the card from the basket and set it on the table by the door for Patamon to sift through. "'Dear Hikari, I'm so sorry I claimed that we couldn't be friends anymore. I really do love you. I guess I just get selfish sometimes when I think that other people have it better off than me. I do hope that Makoto and Tenshi can be the best of friends.'" Hikari looked up to Mimi with a smiled, "'Love, the most apologetic princess.'" I snorted but Mimi shot a glare my way. "Mimi, of course I forgive you. Come in, come see Tenshi!"_

Mimi and Hikari were closer now than they had been before. Every now and then Hikari would spend her night off with Mimi rather than Miyako, Kurayami or Iori. Once Mimi and Hikari had taken a three night trip to New York to visit Michael, and of course Mimi's family. Patamon, Tenshi and I spent those nights over at Koushiro's house and together we looked after the babies.

 _"...and in conclusion," Koushiro said, reading from his laptop to the long-since-passed-out infants. "Wisdom and knowledge truly are different traits. Knowledge is the act of knowing something, while wisdom is a mix between believing—hoping—and knowing it to be true. Wisdom is an accumulation of knowledge. Wisdom is what I strive for, and I should hope that both of you do as well. Goodnight small humans."_

It wasn't only Hikari and me that had to get back to 'normal' life though. Everyone of the Digidestined had taken a sharp turn in their schedules—except Koushiro who still spent every day locked in a research lab, trying to learn and understand the Digital World in ways he had not before. I knew that without the constant threat of menacing villains we all had much more time on our hands.

Sora finally managed a fashion show that wasn't terrible, and it ran smoothly which earned her some special treatment and the ever snooty Gina Hisakawa offered her a paid internship at her firm. I didn't know much about fashion but when Sora told me the news she was practically in tears from the excitement. Yamato even wrote a song about it, and it didn't suck. Not that his other songs sucked by any means, but we were finally hearing something fresh and exciting from his band and the fans he lost from before were coming back again. Biyomon had started a really loving system for the Primary Village by actually helping build a legitimate village around the baby's home and now there were representatives from all over the Digital World lining up to help the babies find their new homes when it came time to grow up. I had heard news that the reason Koushiro and his research team were so invested in their work these days—and the reason they kept the door to their office locked tight—was because they had found something Taichi had described as _"A big red gem"_ and it supposedly held the power of evolution inside. Daisuke finally decided to spread his noodle carts outside of the Digital World and was working on helping the needy humans now as well, and he was getting a lot of press from the local papers too! The virus remedy that Willis and Jou had worked so tirelessly on was working wonders on those who were able to use it. Those who remembered digimon actually understood when Willis explained the process to them and Jou had the steady hand to go through with the procedure.

 _"You have nothing to fear," Jou assured his newest patient, Hiroshi Shibata, one of the Dark Spore Adults. "I have done this procedure multiple times, and I promise you will survive."_

 _"But this is what killed Noriko, isn't it?" Hiroshi asked in a panic. "I don't want to die!"_

 _"I don't want you to die either," Jou promised. "I have dedicated my life to helping others, and you are my newest target. I assure you will walk out of here tomorrow morning with a cancer free form. I won't let any harm come to you. And if it does, we have an antidote on standby. You'll be perfectly okay."_

 _"Is this legal?" Hiroshi wondered._

 _Jou and Willis shared a look._

 _"Well it's not_ illegal _if that's what you're asking," Willis said, suppressing a grin._

 _"What if it's just my destiny to die?" Hiroshi wondered. "I mean, the Dark Spore, the Virus, now cancer? The world wants me dead, and you all keep saving me."_

 _"And we'll continue to do so," Willis promised. "No one deserves to follow their destiny if it means an innocent person gets hurt. Destiny has taken the highroad before and allowed some of my best friends—and myself too—to survive even when we weren't supposed to. You, Hiroshi, will survive as well."_

And he did of course. I would never doubt Jou's abilities, he was basically a super hero and no one questioned his methods anymore. He could save a hundred people before I decided what to eat for breakfast. He really did get his final wish—to save people. And with Gomamon at his side through it all, everything always went smoothly.

Things continued to go smoothly for a long time too. Eventually Hikari gave birth to Hiro, our second son, and only a couple months later Taichi and Rei informed us all that they were expecting their own baby. Not one to be shown up, Yamato had his own plans.

 _"I just feel that everyone has been waiting for this to happen," Yamato said in a thick voice, "and I don't care about that—or I wouldn't, if I hadn't been dying to say this for what feels like a hundred years. Sora Takenouchi, I love you. You're my best friend. You're the only person I will ever feel this way about, and if you feel the same way about me... I want to be with you forever."_

 _With Yamato falling down to one knee to pull out his engagement ring, Sora faked surprise. Except—it didn't_ seem _fake... maybe she was_ actually _shocked. Maybe someone finally managed to pull something off without her noticing! "Yamato—I..." Her mouth hung slightly open and her hands ran through her hair. Hikari grabbed my arm as we watched and Sora's eyes began to water. "You asked me once before—and of course I told you that we couldn't. We were so young. But I promise you that there is nothing that will ever—nothing that could_ possibly _ever stand in the way of me saying yes this time. I love you to the ends of the earth."_

Finally all the loose ends seemed to be tying themselves up, and in a lot of ways everything was fitting into place, like a puzzle. I had seen the box. I knew the end result, but finally all of the confusing pieces were fitting together and nothing could have made me happier. It may have been a long way down from being on top of the world, but we all found a new hill to climb. Together.

Soon enough Mari and Willis would be getting married too, and we all knew it. Willis was never shy about wanting to marry the love of his life, and sometimes he and I even got coffee together. When he wasn't too busy visiting his two nieces every single day of his life. I knew Terriermon and Lopmon didn't mind getting back to New York, and Lalamon loved nurturing that strange flower that appeared in the place of her death. Mari always told her it was creepy, but I didn't think Lalamon cared too much.

Kurayami's practice picked up recently too, and she bought an office right across the street from Dr Chiryo who was essentially the most unprofessional therapist in the history of ever, and the best part of it all, she was doing _well_. She was rivalling Chiryo and it looked like she might even come out on top. She, just like the rest of us, was so adamant about helping people. Iori found his specialty in helping innocent people be freed of their criminal charges because after everything he had gone through, he knew the story was never black or white.

 _"I'm not the best lawyer in the world, and I would like you to stop calling me that," Iori pleaded._

 _"But you're so successful!" Hikari laughed, clapping her hands together and leaning toward him almost as if she were flirting with him. She wasn't—but it wouldn't be surprising if someone found themselves confused about the situation._

 _"I do try my best," Iori accepted finally. "I can't stand seeing people be punished for things they didn't do."_

There were many shades of gray and he was going to make sure he could help as many people as he could, and more than once he had received help from our resident detective. Ken had been promoted and he refused to go alone. Yakuin and Kimi were both promoted along with him and together (along with their digimon Stingmon, Deputymon and Wisemon, who were partnered with them thanks to Hideto's secret practice) they were able to help many people from uncertain death.

 _"It's always been my job to help those feeling trapped," Ken had said loud and clear at a press conference. "I didn't always know that to be the case, but I assure you that I will always go out of my way to save the innocent from oppression. I know too well how it feels."_

Over time more and more 'Mimi's Restaurants' began popping up all over Japan, and there were talks of maybe even moving overseas. Every new village in the Digital World that went up featured one of Izumi's own personal chain, and suddenly Mimi didn't feel special anymore. If Mimi was everywhere, where was she _really_? Well she answered that pretty quickly when the proposition of starting a television show floated her way. Now she could cook _and_ be everywhere and still feel perfectly special _all_ the time.

Miyako was a stay at home mom in the eyes of the whole world, but in the eyes of the digimon, she was practically a goddess. She was working tirelessly to get a head start on digimon activism and preparing the laws for the time when their return was permitted. Neo was passing the laws under the table, and Miyako couldn't have been happier.

 _"I don't need them to believe in digimon yet," she explained to me when I asked. "I'm setting the grounds for when they return. Once digimon are back in this world, there won't be room for hate, because we'll have filled the gaps with protection and love."_

 _"And understanding..." I muttered._

 _"Exactly."_

And it was Miyako who got me back into writing my books. If the entire world was engulfed in these 'fantasy' novels, they would all be on the side of _us_. The good characters, and when the time came they would see it was never fictional at all. Miyako was right. We had all the power in the world. We needed to set up the future now, so we wouldn't need RISE to fight against EVOLVE. The whole world would just be accepting and open.

That was the idea anyway.

And so my books were being written again with a rather furious vigor. I was writing daily and everything was coming out with a sense of purpose and I really did feel like I was going somewhere. The publishers were more than happy to reopen my deal and the second book was out before I knew it.

While Izumi was working in the Digital World at 'Mimi's' her friends were all working endlessly as well. Takuya and Tomoki had started a digimon rescue, which was where all kinds of young digimon could come when they weren't sure which way they wanted their lives to pan out. Kouji and his brother Kouichi set out into the Land of Dreams a while back, claiming to be the 'Frontier Group' and moving many stray digimon to that land where they could start their own sort of colony. I knew Meiyomon was heavily involved in this process, and Summer and Yume were happy to help. It was especially safe there now that the energy that had created Yume and Akumu was now focused on creating 'Digi-Gnomes' instead, but that didn't mean I would ever go visit. Junpei started a marketing chain inside the Digital world to modernize the world a bit, and while they were all skeptical at first, he assured everyone that the world would never become the toxic factory packed waste that Earth would inevitably become. And obviously their partners, the Sovereign, were doing all they could to keep the balance that we had waited so long for.

Hideto was pretty busy, what with Mimi leaving him in charge of her first restaurant in Jiyugaoka as well as his secret job. He was still pairing people with a digimon partner whenever he found it appropriate, and eventually Neo hired him to do so. When Hideto felt comfortable enough he passed Mimi's restaurant to Tako—with Mimi's permission of course.

 _"Tako and Michan both have partners now," Hideto was saying, shrugging his shoulders. "Chuumon and Sukamon. They're kind of weird, but at least they're all happy. They can take over the restaurant for now, because I have more pressing matters. After being in Sidhendor and watching people striving for their happy endings, but never being able to reach the end of their stories I know that I_ need _to help people find their happy endings. They really do exist, even if Neo doesn't agree."_

 _"I may be a bitter stick not-in-the-mud," Neo said casually, "but even I agree that happiness does truly exist." His eyes trailed across the room to where Evelen was chatting up a reporter, and he smiled._

 _"What about love?" Hideto asked. "What's your stance on that?"_

 _Neo pursed his lips and took a sip of his wine. "Perhaps I was wrong about that as well."_

Once my books picked up again and the loyal fans of the first book had returned and multiplied I was approached about a movie deal. Our story could never be told in two hours, and so a television series was green lit.

 _"Michael Washington from downtown US of A is here with us today," a lady was saying. I stood behind the camera of course, because I loved being involved in the creative side of the television show. Michael was being interviewed for some much needed press for the show. "How does it feel to be playing a role here in Japan?"_

 _"Well I've always been able to speak Japanese," Michael said with a smile. "See my mother had Allspeak and she passed it to me, so I can go wherever I want and always understand!" The woman laughed at Michael's 'joke' and then moved on._

 _"Gennai is a minor role," the interviewer said briskly. "Did you consider auditioning for a bigger role?"_

 _Michael grinned knowingly. "Well I wanted to play Patamon, but my new agent slash public relations worker told me that it was a terrible idea." The interviewer laughed again. "My sister Jenna—the worker I just mentioned—advised me to play Gennai of course, and I think you'll find he's a bigger role than you might first guess."_

 _"Ooh!" the interviewer gasped, "have you been told secrets of the future books from the author?"_

 _"Something like that," Michael grinned._

Michael and Mimi weren't the only friends we saw on TV that year though.

 _"Takeru!" Gatomon cried out. "Hikari! Patamon!" We all rushed into the living room to see Mari standing with her arms folded across her chest, standing on our television screen. "It's Mari!"_

 _"Ms Goutokuji is here live, and we were permitted to ask a few questions about the incident," the reporter said, turning to face Mari. "How do you feel?"_

 _"Pretty damned miserable actually," Mari snapped._

 _"But you just saved a girl from her abusive father! He had a gun, and you saved the day!" the reporter countered._

 _"And I can't believe there are still people out there who think it's okay to abuse a child," Mari said, turning directly to the camera and moving closer, pointing her finger angrily. "If you're out there, and you feel it's okay to lay a hand on an innocent person—child or not—I'll come find you. I'll get you, and I'll take you down and no one will ever be sure if you ever even existed, and let me tell you—"_

 _The report cut her off and switched to weather at that point, but I was pretty sure she got her point across._

Mari had a lot of aggression, but she was still one of our close friends, and sometimes we went a few months without seeing her, or any of the others but there was always someone who would bring us all around again. We would gather in the Temple, or in Taichi's preposterously large house to remember that we were a team. No. To remember that we will _always_ be a team.

Patamon had gone out and made some more friends of his own. He had Devimon but the guy still had a long way to go before his negativity didn't exhaust anyone who spoke to him, and so when I came home one day to find Kiyoko and Patamon playing cards I wasn't too surprised.

 _"I'm pretty sure Agumon and Palmon are in love," Patamon was saying. "Biyomon and Hawkmon totally had a date night, even though Hawkmon didn't know it was a date. And I_ know _Gatomon keeps saying that Wizardmon is just her friend, but are we really going to believe her?"_

 _"I think I believe her," Kiyoko shrugged. "I'll believe anyone until they tell me otherwise. Maybe that makes me naive, but I like to give people the benefit of the doubt."_

 _"That's fair," Patamon sighed. "I just don't see how I can't be in love too..."_

 _"I told you once before," Kiyoko said. "You don't need to be able to have children to be in love with someone, and I stand by that. When you find the right person, you'll know that he or she is perfect for you—for your soul. You'll feel like you're getting to know them all over again rather than meeting someone new."_

 _"Like Takeru," Patamon smiled._

 _"Exactly like that," Kiyoko said. "Your true love is a lot like your partner. Your souls are all tangled up I think. You'll find the right person." He smiled fondly. "I did, after all."_

And that wasn't all he had found either. He had a stable mind after all of his therapy, and he even had a stable career in the Digital World, erecting cities and towns specific to the digimon who lived there. It was a little like segregation, but there was no hatred involved in the separating of species, and all digimon seemed to be getting along much better now—obviously with a few jerks to screw things up for everyone every now and then though. Kiyoko had even gotten a job designing a building for Earth, but it took a _long_ time and he much preferred the fast paced Digital World action.

And of course our fearless leader, Taichi. He and Agumon worked tirelessly to make the Digital World better than ever. The repairs had long since been made and with all of his ideas to help make things better we all knew the Digital World would soon be a paradise.

 _"I will do anything and everything I can to help this world," Taichi said, looking around as we took a walk along the Temple wall. There was a cool chilling breeze and he had his arm around Rei as Hikari skipped on ahead with the digimon. "I owe my sister's life to this world. I owe my friends and my family to this world. I will pay it back in the only way I know how. I will protect it until the end of my time here."_

 _"And I'll do everything I can to help you!" Agumon grinned, looking back to us all._

Hikari and I were doing well too now that my books were back and she was working full time as a teacher. She enjoyed teaching fourth grade more than she thought she might initially, but she refused to take Noriko's post. She felt it was disrespectful. I didn't understand it, but I trusted her in the end. And of course as our sons grew older Hikari proved that she was the most perfect human in the world.

 _"I'm scared," Hiro said in a warbled voice as he cried softly. "It's scary!"_

 _"Darling," Hikari said soothingly, rubbing Hiro's shoulder as he hugged her side, curling up next to her in his own bed. "There is nothing there in the dark that you cannot find in the light."_

 _"Daddy," Tenshi whispered, looking to me from the other end of the hallway, dragging a stuffed bear behind him. I smiled to him and held a finger to my lips. We didn't want Hiro to feel bombarded. I moved toward Tenshi and scooped him into my arms. "Is Hiro okay?"_

 _"Of course he is, Tenshi," I promised. "Hiro's just learning to hold onto the light, even in the dark, because nothing is scary when you have something to hold close."_

 _"Like this!" Tenshi giggled, pulling his bear to his chest._

 _"Exactly like that," I smiled, pressing my nose toward his._

When happiness seemed all but inevitable, kids seemed to appear one after the other in our group of Crest bearers. Of course Jou and Momoe had Emiko and Renjiro, and Miyoko and Ken had given birth to Mai and Osamu with a third child on the way. Michael and Tatum had Louisa and Elliot, while Iori and Natsuni had Kana. Tenshi and Hiro had three cousins now in Nikko, Rei and Taichi's son, and also Aika and Shouta, Sora and Yamato's two lovely children. Mimi eventually did get pregnant again and while she was prepared the second time around, she complained just as much, but soon baby Chika joined Makoto in the Izumi family. And after Mari and Willis had finally tied the knot they found themselves to be pregnant with twins, only to find out that Iris and Madlyn were joined by Izumi—adopted by Kiyoko and Hideto on the very same day. And Kurayami was working through second pregnancy, noting that she and Miyako's due dates were only a few months apart. There were children everywhere, and with a little help from Hideto they slowly gained their own partners as well.

And then one day...

"Dad, what's this?" Hiro asked loudly. I looked up from my book and saw him pointing to the television where a mess of violent pink chaos was flooding parts of the city. Hikari's hand tightened around mine. She knew what it was. It was negativity. It was depression. It was the Greatest Evil of them all—no matter what Apocalymon decided. "Are we going to be okay?" Hiro asked.

"Ryou's got this," I assured him.

"Literally _who_?" Hiro asked, looking to his partner Tokomon that I was not ashamed to admit was the very same digimon who had killed Angemon nearly three decades prior.

It was true too, because we all knew Ryou had this under control. It was harder than ever to stay back and allow Ryou to save the day, but somehow it was fitting. We had to give all of our Trust to a boy we knew so long ago and hope that it was not in vain.

But of course everything turned out alright. Of course the Evil was defeated, and of course Spring and Summer finally chose to break the spell they had cast on the world. It was time for the two worlds to finally come together again, and while we weren't sure the best way to approach this, we did know that each person had their own partner hiding somewhere in the Digital World, just waiting to meet up with their soul mate.

In a lot of ways I was sure that my soul was not just tangled together with Patamon's or Hikari's, but with everyone of the group. I could never forget them and the way we helped each other. And to ensure that never happened, once a year we would get together to celebrate the very first adventure we had gone on, even if half of our number had not joined us at that time.

"Dad!" Hiro called, poking his head into my office. "Come on, it's time to go."

"Yeah, I know," I assured him. "I'll be right there."

In the end we may have been the Digidestined, but this was never our story. It was a story about war and peace between two worlds that were meant to be one. It was a story about balance and togetherness. This was a story about how the Crests we were entrusted with affected not only our friends and family, but everyone in all the worlds. The story was bigger than how the boy got the girl, or who fought with whom. The story was about the adventure and all the good it brought the worlds.

Sometimes it was hard to believe that our lives had not always been this way—so full of peace and happiness. Sometimes I had to remind myself of the fighting we did for so long because it seemed like a distant far off nightmare that had finally worked its way out of my system, and I could now sleep at ease with dreams of love and kindness fluttering through my mind at night. Finally, all was well.


End file.
